Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,161,747 quotes Who coined it · How we decide
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Science
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“Science progresses by trial and error, by conjectures and refutations. Only the fittest theories survive.”
Alan Chalmers (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The greater the number of conjectured theories that are confronted by the realities of the world, and the more speculative those conjectures are, the greater will be the chances of major advances in science.”
Alan Chalmers (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The confirmations of novel predictions resulting from bold conjectures are very important in the falsificationist account of the growth of science.”
Alan Chalmers (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The aim of science is to falsify theories and to replace them by better theories, theories that demonstrate a greater ability to withstand tests.”
Alan Chalmers (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Establishing by observation that there is just one black swan falsifies "all swans are white". This is an unexceptional and undeniable point. However, using it as grounds to support a falsificationist philosophy of science is not as straightforward as it might seem.”
Alan Chalmers (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A mature science is governed by a single paradigm.”
Alan Chalmers (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We respect science because it tests its hypotheses. We respect ourselves when we do the same.”
Eric Maisel (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Definition and division are the watchwords of science, where art is all for composition and creation.”
Walter Raleigh (professor) first seen 1897 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Style (1897), p. 41
“The stalwart honesty and simplicity of the character and writings of Davis give a singular charm to his name and story. He was a man after Hakluyt's own heart, a fearless explorer, an ardent student and professor of the science of navigation.”
Walter Raleigh (professor) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Tolstoy was occupied by a continuous pilgrimage to all fountains of knowledge, to all systems of religions, and to all manner of men in pursuit of Truth. He could not find it in the Church, nor in Science, nor in Art, nor among the rich, nor among the learned. But he did find it in the lives of the lowly and the suffering—in the Doukhobors, in Soutaieff, in Bóndaref, and in Jesus the carpenter.”
Robert Hunter (author) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our youth have defied and derided a regime which is not mindful of their future but is obsessed with the hereafter. The Iranian youth keep defending their right to live their age and the epoch in which they are born; that is to say in a world flourished by science and learning, and not mourning and martyrdom.”
Reza Pahlavi (born 1960) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Peace and Stability in the Middle East and Beyond: A Hostage to Iranian Intransigence and Adventurism.", Oct. 24, 2007.
“Since it can be argued that both science and engineering are concerned with the study of real systems and their behavior, it follows that a general theory should be concerned with the study of general systems... It suffices for the present discussion to consider a general system as an abstract analogue or model of a class of real systems. General systems theory is then a theory of general models.”
Mihajlo D. Mesarovic (born 1928) first seen 1964 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Mesarovic (1964) cited in: Shatrughna P. Sinha (1991) Instant encyclopaedia of geography. 1. Introduction to geography. Mittal Publications, p. 467
“We are confronted with problems of organized complexity... organization runs through all levels of reality and science.”
Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p. 63. as cited in: Doede Keuning (1973) Algemene systeemtheorie. p. 185
“If someone were to analyze current notions and fashionable catchwords, he would find "systems" high on the list. The concept has pervaded all fields of science and penetrated into popular thinking, jargon and mass media.”
Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Systems thinking plays a dominant role in a wide range of fields from industrial enterprise and armaments to esoteric topics of pure science. Innumerable publications, conferences, symposia and courses are devoted to it. Professions and jobs have appeared in recent years which, unknown a short while ago, go under names such as systems design, systems analysis, systems engineering and others.”
Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The system problem is essentially the problem of the limitation of analytical procedures in science. This used to be expressed by half-metaphysical statements, such as emergent evolution or ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts,’ but has a clear operational meaning.”
Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1901–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Science is the study of those things that can be reduced to the study of other things.”
Gerald Weinberg (1933–2018) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p. 30; Quote in: Dieter Spath, Walter Ganz (2008) The Future of Services: Trends and Perspectives. p. 226
“Ethical judgments can be [should be] included in the scope of science”
C. West Churchman (1913–2004) said by 2004 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in: John P. van Gigch (2006) Wisdom, Knowledge, and Management. p. 2
“In an unrestricted science such as biology or geology, the effects under study are so complex that designed experiments with controls are often not possible. Quantitative models are more vulnerable and the chance of unknown factors dominating the observations is much greater.”
Peter Checkland (1930–2026) said by 2026 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is a remarkable fact that the second law of thermodynamics has played in the history of science a fundamental role far beyond its original scope. Suffice it to mention Boltzmann’s work on kinetic theory, Planck’s discovery of quantum theory or Einstein’s theory of spontaneous emission, which were all based on the second law of thermodynamics”
Ilya Prigogine (1917–2003) said by 2003 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The denial of becoming by physics estranged science from philosophy... [and] became a dogmatic assertion directed against all those (chemists, biologists, physicians) for whom a qualitative diversity existed in nature... Today we believe that the epoch of certainties and absolute oppositions is over. Physicists belong to their culture, to which, in their turn, they make an essential contribution.”
Ilya Prigogine (1917–2003) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in: L.P. Foch (1997) "Some Philosophical Influences on Ilya Prigogine's Statistical Mechanics", at georgetown.edu.
“Loose ideas on the subject of business will not answer. It must be reduced to something of a science. It has its principles, upon a knowledge and an application of which, success in it mainly depends.”
Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) said by 1904 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Amid the vast modern network of universities, corporate laboratories, and national science foundations has arisen an awareness that the best financed and best organized of research enterprises have not learned to engender, perhaps not even to recognize, world-tuning originality.”
James Gleick (born 1954) first seen 1992 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: James Gleick (1992). Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman. Vintage Books
“In recent years it has become impossible to talk about man's relation to nature without referring to "ecology"...such leading scientists in this area as Rachel Carson, Barry Commoner, Eugene Odum, Paul Ehrlich and others, have become our new delphic voices...so influential has their branch of science become that our time might well be called the "Age of Ecology".”
Eugene Odum (1913–2002) first seen 1994 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Donald Worster, Nature's Economy, Cambridge University Press, 1994.
“[T]he Democratic Party, which now controls the House, the Senate and the White House genuinely believes they have a monopoly on objective truth. They believe they're the party of science and rationality, and that the only way to disagree with them is if you're either a deranged conspiracy theorist or a seditionist, somebody who is engaged in criminal conduct or terrorism.”
Glenn Greenwald (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Science and future, that is a contradiction.”
Helmut Schmidt (1918–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The mechanical engineer today is carrying forward, under the direction of science, the work that was begun by the mechanic who first learned to chip flint or make a fire ; and it is he alone that can lead the mechanic of today to a better understanding of his problems, and the capitalist to a better appreciation of their solution.”
Henry Gantt (1861–1919) said by 1919 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“She seemed able to face with equal equanimity the rigours of fascist cruelty and suppression that she was dealt as a Jew; the problems of practising underground medicine in wartime; the difficulties posed by prejudice and discrimination against women; and the near isolation and challenges of those working at the cutting edge of science.”
Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909–2012) said by 2012 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Arm yourselves with science.”
Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1906–1975) said by 1975 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our youth education is based on three pillars: belief, science and work.”
Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1906–1975) said by 1975 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Some atheists seem to think that a sufficient reason for atheism is the fact (as they say) that we no longer need God to explain natural phenomena—lightning and thunder for example. We now have science.”
Alvin Plantinga (born 1932) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In science there are no 'depths'; there is surface everywhere.”
Rudolf Carnap (1891–1970) first seen 1929 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Rudolf Carnap (1929) from the Vienna Circle manifesto.
“The function of logical analysis is to analyse all knowledge, all assertions of science and of everyday life, in order to make clear the sense of each such assertion and the connections between them. One of the principal tasks of the logical analysis of a given proposition is to find out the method of verification for that proposition.”
Rudolf Carnap (1891–1970) first seen 1935 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Rudolf Carnap (1935) Philosophy and Logical Syntax. p. 9-10
“According to this view, the sentences of metaphysics are pseudo-sentences which on logical analysis are proved to be either empty phrases or phrases which violate the rules of syntax. Of the so-called philosophical problems, the only questions which have any meaning are those of the logic of science. To share this view is to substitute logical syntax for philosophy.”
Rudolf Carnap (1891–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If we took something like any fiction, any holy book… and destroyed it, in a thousand year’s time that wouldn’t come back just as it was. Whereas if we took every science book, and every fact, and destroyed them all, in a thousand years time, they’d all be back.”
Ricky Gervais (born 1961) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, first broadcast by CBS on 1 February 2017.
“Art and Science are two different streams which rise from the same creative force and flow into the same ocean of the common culture, but the currents of these two streams flow in different directions.”
Naum Gabo (1890–1977) first seen 1957 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote of Naum Gabo (1957), as cited in: Gabo: Construction, Sculpture, Paintings, Drawings, Engravings. p. 164.
“Finding an alternative to supplement military ways of resolving international conflicts has been taken up by many people skilled in various areas such as political science, economics, social studies, modelling and simulation, intelligence and expert systems, military strategy and weaponry as well as private business and industry.”
Harold Chestnut (1917–2001) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Harold Chestnut, Peter Kopacek, Tibor Vámos (1989) International conflict resolution using system engineering: proceedings of the IFAC workshop, Budapest, Hungary, 5-8 June 1989. International Federation of Automatic Co…
“The young mathematical disciple might be of some help in making psychology a real science.”
Kurt Lewin (1890–1947) said by 1947 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Adlerians, in the name of “individual psychology,” take the side of society against the individual. … Adler’s later thought succumbs to the worst of his earlier banalization. It is conventional, practical, and moralistic. “Our science … is based on common sense.” Common sense, the half-truths of a deceitful society, is honored as the honest truths of a frank world.”
Russell Jacoby (born 1945) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You are not to disbelieve human science or think human reason invalid except when they venture outside their province.”
Ernest Dimnet (1866–1954) said by 1954 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Cybernetics is the science or the art of manipulating defensible metaphors; showing how they may be constructed and what can be inferred as a result of their existence.”
Gordon Pask (1928–1996) first seen 1966 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Pask (1966) The Cybernetics of Human Performance and Learning. Cited in: George J. Klír (2001) Facets of Systems Science. p. 429.
“[A]n electro-mechanical creature which behaves so much like an animal that it has been known to drive a not usually timid lady upstairs to lock herself in her bedroom, an interesting blend of magic and science.”
William Grey Walter (1910–1977) said by 1977 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The famous physicist Wolfgang Pauli is said to have remarked that the deepest pleasure in science comes from finding an instantiation, a home, for some deeply felt, deeply held image.”
Stuart Kauffman (born 1939) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(Systems science) does not aim to find the one true representation for a given type of systems (e.g. physical, chemical or biological systems), but to formulate general principles about how different representations of different systems can be constructed so as to be effective in problem-solving.”
Francis Heylighen (born 1960) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In many ways it is true to say that syntax is mathematical logic, semantics is philosophy or philosophy of science, and pragmatics is psychology, but these fields are not really all distinct.”
Frank Honywill George (1921–1997) first seen 1996 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p.42 as cited in: Sica Pettigiani (1996) La comunicazione interumana. p.48
“Perfect contemplatives hear without astonishment all that the learned propound since they excel in a science transcending all understanding.”
John of St. Samson (1572–1636) said by 1636 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The first work I published was a poem. That was one of my most exciting moments. Afterwards, I wrote many different types of articles, including prose, novels, and even science fiction. However, I found I wasn't very qualified, because I only had a four-year primary school education. So I turned to writing fairy tales.”
Zheng Yuanjie (born 1955) first seen 2008 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Zheng Yuanjie (2008) in: "China's Hans Christian Andersen" on CRIENGLISH.com, June 19, 2008 (online).
“From society's standpoint, modern science and technology appears Janus-faced : It has given us wealth in one sense, and poverty in another; it has harnessed nature to man's basic needs in ways and to extents undreamed - of only a few decades ago, but it has fostered a continuingly lowered "quality of life".”
Richard F. Ericson (1919–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is in science, however, quite a gap between belief and certainty. But would one ever have the patience to wait and to establish the certainty if the inner conviction were not already there?”
Jacques Monod (1910–1976) said by 1976 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The term “system” is unquestionably one of the most widely used terms not only in science, but in other areas of human endeavor as well. It is a highly overworked term, which enjoys different meanings under different circumstances and for different people. However, when separated from its specific connotations and uses, the term "system" is almost never explicitly defined.”
George Klir (1932–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source