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Science

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“You don't observe the past directly, even when you think about the creation account. We can't observe God creating, we can't observe Adam and Eve: we admit that. We're willing to admit our beliefs about the past. But see, what you observe in the present is very different. Even some public school textbooks sort of acknowledge the difference between historical and observational science.”
Ken Ham (born 1951) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For much of the 20th century, the blank slate view was the dominant view in the social sciences. With the popularization of sociobiology in the 1970s, however, evolutionary approaches to human behavior became the locus of an academic culture war between biologically minded thinkers and advocates of the traditional social science model.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Even in the age of science, we understand the motions of the distant, ancient stars better than we understand the organism observing them: ourselves.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“People who object to the by-product hypothesis [for female orgasm] are doing something strange: They're saying that it's hugely important to them that female orgasm turns out to be an adaptation, like vomiting, cobra venom, and the scorpion's stinger, rather than a "mere" cultural invention, like science, medicine, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[I]f we make the reasonable ballpark assumption that people working in a given field tend to come from the 25% of people most interested in that field, sex differences in occupational interests would account for the entirety of the engineering gender gap and much of the gap in science and mathematics.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Although men and women are roughly equally represented in STEM overall, in certain fields, the sex ratios are somewhat unbalanced. More women than men are found in health-related fields, for instance, whereas more men than women are found in fields such as computer science, engineering, and physics.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I was on the football team because I wanted to experience the different iconic social classes of high school. So football for me was an attempt to socially integrate in an interesting way. And then I didn’t like it anymore and stopped doing it and focused more on drama and science and other forms of art and music.”
Reggie Watts (born 1972) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in: "Comedy Bang! Bang! sidekick extraordinaire Reggie Watts sits down to talk at SXSW 2013" ifc.com. Posted March 10th, 2013, 8:03 PM by Melissa Locker: Watts reply to the question "You were on the football team!
“The more advanced the sciences have become, the more they have tended to enter the domain of mathematics, which is a sort of center towards which they converge. We can judge of the perfection to which a science has come by the facility, more or less great, with which it may be approached by calculation.”
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874) said by 1874 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Edward Mailly, Essai sur la vie et les ouv rages de Quetelet in the Annuaire de Vacadimie royale des sciences des lettres et des beaux-arts de Belgique (1875) Vol. xli pp. 109-297 found also in "Conclusions" of Instruct…
“Social physics never can pretend to discover laws which will verify themselves in every particular, in the case of isolated individuals. The science will have rendered a service sufficiently vast, in giving more precise views upon a host of points, of which vague glimpses only were before possessed.”
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874) said by 1874 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Hitherto, the science of Man has been limited to researches... respecting some of its laws, to results deduced from single or insulated observations, and to theories often based on mere glimpses; and these constitute pretty nearly all the materials it possesses.”
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874) said by 1874 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Having for their object the Science of Man, present difficulties exceedingly great, and, to merit confidence, must be collected upon a scale far too extended to be attempted by an individual philosopher.”
Adolphe Quetelet (1796–1874) said by 1874 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I strongly believe that fundamental science cannot be driven by instructional, industrial and government or military pressures. This was the reason why I decided, as far as possible, not to accept money from the to run of grow a good institution without funds....I therefore will not put it as a condition that no government funds should be accepted by the Institute.”
C. V. Raman (1888–1970) first seen 1970 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: His statement to his fellow scientist before his death in 1970. Quoted in
“[Science] was a human heritage] belonging neither to the East or the West.”
Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858–1937) said by 1937 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“India has a medieval and authoritarian structure of society and the tradition of science is not yet strong. The power of government officials is increasing as an inescapable result of the pervasive anthoritarian character of lndian society.”
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (1893–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The development of the nation is intimately linked with understanding and application of science and technology by its people.”
Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971) said by 1971 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The launch of satellite SLV was possible in India only due to the inspiration from Prof Vikram Sarabhai. It wont be an exaggeration if it is said that Prof Sarabhai is the sun shining over the horizon of Indian Science who would keep showing light to the future scientists.”
Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971) said by 1971 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“At present, we have a policy-response shaped by sophisticated climate science, brilliant technology and pop behaviourism, based on simple assumptions about carrot-and-stick incentives.”
David Fleming (1940–2010) said by 2010 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Over the door of his room he caused this sentence to be inscribed: "lnnocuex vivito--- Numen Adest!" He always entertained veneration and admiration for his Creator, and endeavoured to trace his science to its Author. "Tu decus omne tuis, postquam te fata tulere." (Virgilio)”
Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) said by 1778 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This is an honour that reflects the quality of science supported by the Medical Research Council, in particular at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. In my case, credit should go to the numerous dedicated postdocs, students, associates and colleagues who made crucial contributions to the work.”
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It takes a certain amount of courage to tackle very hard problems in science, I now realise. You don't know what the timescale of your work will be: decades or only a few years. Or your approach may be fatally flawed and doomed to fail. Or you could get scooped just as you are finalising your work. It is very stressful.”
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You would have to ask a physicist really but I think understanding fundamental problems in physics is very important because they are part of our culture. You just never know what is going to come from it. If you had told Isaac Newton about spaceships and satellites that arise from his laws of gravity, it would have been science fiction to him.”
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“People go into science out of curiosity, not to win awards. But scientists are human and have ambitions. Even the best scientists are often insecure and feel the need for recognition.”
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A life of science struck me as being both interesting and international in character.”
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Last year, the lecture was held in [an auditorium] with a capacity for just 300 people, and half the seats were empty. “What has changed? I am still the same person doing the same science. Why are people so impressed when some academy in Sweden gives an award?”
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (born 1952) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I feel basic science is getting its due now. I used to say earlier that Dr Homi Bhabha should get this honour and also some other eminent researchers. Scientists work very, very had but rarely get recognition. I have been working for 62 years. I was 17 when I started my research. I am going to be 80 soon.”
C. N. Ramachandra Rao (born 1934) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Prof Brown used to say, if it is worth doing, it must be worth publishing. Faraday had said much the same many years earlier. In science, we “ work, finish and publish”. These statements have guided me all through my professional life.”
C. N. Ramachandra Rao (born 1934) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Berkeley campus was academically overpowering. In the Tuesday evening colloquia, one would see a galaxy of chemists in the front row, with many Nobel Laureates and members of the National Academy of Science amongst them. It was a daunting task to give talks at these meetings. I managed to survive those occasions.”
C. N. Ramachandra Rao (born 1934) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When laughing children chase after fireflies, they are not pursuing beetles but catching wonder.When wonder matures, it peels back experience to seek deeper layers of marvel below. This is science's highest purpose.”
David G. Haskell (born 1969) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is an inescapable moral dimensions of human existence. It follows that investigation must take account of that proposition. Yet psychologists have been among the most determined opponents of this claim, predictably in the name of what they deem to be science. They hope, at least in their technical activities, to be above the fray.”
Solomon Asch (1907–1996) first seen 1990 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Solomon Asch, "Comments on D. T. Campell's Chapter", in The Legacy of Solomon Asch : Essays in Cognition and Social Psychology (1990) edited by Irvin Rock, p. 53.
“Science is art. It is the process of creating something that never exists before. ... It makes us ask new questions about ourselves, others; about ethics, the future.”
Regina E. Dugan (born 1963) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Virginia Tech Magazine (Summer 2013) by Denise Young; also in Digital Da Vinci: Computers in the Arts and Sciences (2014) by Newton Lee
“The gift of professional maturity comes only to the psychologist who knows the history of his science.”
Edwin Boring (1886–1968) said by 1968 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in: David Ballin Klein (1977) The Unconscious: Invention Or Discovery? p. iii;
“How such an elaborate theory could have become so widely accepted – on the basis of no systematic evidence or critical experiments, and in the face of chronic failures of therapeutic intervention in all of the major classes of mental illness... – is something that sociologists of science and popular culture have yet to fully explain.”
Paul Churchland (born 1942) first seen 1995 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Paul Churchland. The Engine of Reason, the Seat of the Soul. (1st ed.). MIT Press. 1995. pp. 181: Talking about Freudian analysis.
“I think science is best taught as a puzzle to be solved.”
Steven Novella (born 1964) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: SGU, Podcast #187, February 11th, 2009
“Even though I think they're probably usually wrong, minority opinions in science are very useful. It keeps the whole process honest ...”
Steven Novella (born 1964) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: SGU, Podcast #227, November 25th, 2009
“As you study science, and really try to understand what is happening behind the curtain, not just reading the predigested press releases but actually talking to scientists or reading technical papers, you realize that ... it's always more complicated than you think. ... No measurement is simple. ... The way you make the comparison will address different issues.”
Steven Novella (born 1964) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: SGU, Podcast #528, August 22nd, 2015
“In science, modesty and genius do not coexist well together. (In Washington, modesty and cleverness don’t.) Einstein is perhaps the most famous exception to the rule.”
Charles Krauthammer (1950–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Intermediate between mathematics, statistics, and economics, we find a new discipline which, for lack of a better name, may be called econometrics. Econometrics has as its aim to subject abstract laws of theoretical political economy or "pure" economics to experimental and numerical verification, and thus to turn pure economics, as far as possible, into a science in the strict sense of the word.”
Ragnar Frisch (1895–1973) first seen 1926 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ragnar Frisch (1926) "On a Problem in Pure Economics: Translated by JS Chipman." Preferences, Utility, and Demand: A Minnesota Symposium. 1926.
“Whosoever seeks the truth will not proceed by studying the writings of his predecessors and by simply accepting his own good opinion of them. Whosoever studies works of science must, if he wants to find the truth, transform himself into a critic of everything he reads. He must examine tests and explanations with the greatest precision and question them from all angles and aspects.”
Alhazen (965–1039) said by 1039 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As a boundary science, econometrics is younger than the adjacent regions, which fact likewise has advantages and disadvantages. As a disadvantage, the lack of an established doctrine, and also the lack of established textbooks, can be felt; as an advantage is the fresh enthusiasm, with which its students work.”
Jan Tinbergen (1903–1994) first seen 1953 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p. 3; Cited in: Economia e finanças: anais do Instituto superior de ciências económicas e financeiras. (1953), p. 463
“[An] epochal innovation [consisting of the] spreading application of science to processes of production and social organization.”
Simon Kuznets (1901–1985) said by 1985 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p. 487, as cited in: Peter Temin, ‎Gianni Toniolo (2008) The World Economy between the Wars. p. 7
“Economics as currently learned and taught in graduate school and practiced afterward is more theory-intensive and less observation-intensive than perhaps any other science. I think the statement that "no mere fact ever was a match in economics for a consistent theory" accurately describes the prevailing attitude in the profession (Milgrom and Roberts, 1987, p. 185).”
Vernon L. Smith (born 1927) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Some of his deepest discoveries were reasoned out verbally with very few if any symbols, and those for the most part mere abbreviations of words. Any impatient student of mathematics or science or engineering who is irked by having algebraic symbolism thrust on him should try to get on without it for a week.”
Eric Temple Bell (1883–1960) said by 1960 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Colonial possessions added to the prestige, and to a much lesser degree to the wealth, of Europe. But the primary cause of Western affluence and power is internal—the institutions of science, democracy, and capitalism acting in concert.”
Dinesh D'Souza (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The crimes of atheism have generally been perpetrated through a hubristic ideology that sees man, not God, as the creator of values. Using the latest techniques of science and technology, man seeks to displace God and create a secular utopia here on earth.”
Dinesh D'Souza (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Symbolical algebra is … the science which treats of the combination of operations deﬁned not by their nature, … but by the laws of combination to which they are subject....[W]e suppose the existence of classes of unknown operations subject to the same laws.”
Duncan Gregory (1813–1844) said by 1844 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Mythology, science, space exploration, these are subjects that have fascinated me since my early childhood. And they were always connected somehow with the music I write.”
Vangelis (1943–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And whatever we find on Mars, the doors will be open to the next Odyssey, to something so many have instinctually felt for so long, something which through music I remember -- that at the dawn of creation the seeds of life were likely scattered far and wide across the endless skies, and that science will continue to show us how we are connected, no different than the universe itself.”
Vangelis (1943–2022) said by 2022 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is a great tragedy that science, this wonderful process for finding out what is true, has ceded the spiritual uplift of its central revelations: the vastness of the universe, the immensity of time, the relatedness of all life, and life’s preciousness on our tiny planet.”
Ann Druyan (born 1949) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ann Druyan interviewed by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. — "Ann Druyan Talks About Science, Religion, Wonder, Awe … and Carl Sagan". Skeptical Inquirer 27 (6). November–December 2003.
“Recently there's been a resurgence of rejection of evolution - possibly one of the most concrete and indisputable discoveries of science. To the extent that we deny this, we're wandering in the darkness.”
Ann Druyan (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We have the means to get through these terrible troubles, but we have to get our act together,” Druyan insists. “And one of the ways, in my view, is to spread the knowledge of science and high technology to the widest possible public once again.”
Ann Druyan (born 1949) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview (2020)