If you admit that to silence your opponent by force_x000D_ is to win an intellectual argument,_x000D_ then you admit the right to silence people by force.
Hans EysenckRead
I always felt that a scientist owes the world only one thing, and that is the truth as he sees it. If the truth contradicts deeply held beliefs, that is too bad. Tact and diplomacy are fine in international relations, in politics, perhaps even in business; in science only one thing matters, and that is the facts.
Interpretation
Scientists should prioritize truth and facts over societal beliefs and diplomacy.
In this quote, Hans Eysenck emphasizes that the primary responsibility of a scientist is to present the truth as they perceive it, regardless of how it may conflict with popular or deeply held beliefs. While tact and diplomacy are often necessary in politics and business, in the realm of science, the focus must remain unequivocally on established facts and evidence, highlighting the importance of objective truth in scientific discourse.
In practice
In a scientific presentation, one might quote Eysenck to emphasize the need for honesty in research findings.
If you admit that to silence your opponent by force_x000D_ is to win an intellectual argument,_x000D_ then you admit the right to silence people by force.
That which is not measurable is not science. That which is not physics is stamp collecting.
If you get asteroids about a kilometer in size, those are large enough and carry enough energy into our system to disrupt transportation, communication, the food chains, and that can be a really bad day on Earth.
The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it.
Perhaps... some day the precision of the data will be brought so far that the mathematician will be able to calculate at his desk the outcome of any chemical combination, in the same way, so to speak, as he calculates the motions of celestial bodies.
Let me lay my cards on the table. If I were to give an award for the single best idea anyone ever had, I'd give it to Darwin, ahead of even Newton or Einstein and everyone else. In a single stroke, the idea of evolution by natural selection unifies the realm of life, meaning, and purpose with the realm of space and time, cause and effect, mechanism and physical law. It is not just a wonderful idea. It is a dangerous idea.
I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then, if possible, add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success.
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