Has there ever been a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our lifetime.
Jacob BronowskiRead
That is the essence of science: ask an impertinent question, and you are on the way to a pertinent answer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science thrives on curiosity and the pursuit of difficult questions.
This quote emphasizes that the core of scientific inquiry lies in the ability to question the status quo boldly. By encouraging a mindset that seeks to ask challenging or even 'impertinent' questions, we pave the way to uncovering valuable insights and meaningful answers that advance our understanding of the world.
Themes
ScienceQuestionsCuriosityInquiryKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
During a scientific conference, a speaker might use this quote to inspire researchers to question commonly held beliefs.
More from Jacob Bronowski
All quotes βThere is no absolute knowledge. And those who claim it, whether they are scientists or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy.
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To me the most interesting thing about man is that he is an animal who practices art and science and in every known society practices both together.
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A man becomes creative, whether he is an artist or scientist, when he finds a new unity in the variety of nature. He does so by finding a likeness between things which were not thought alike before.
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The values by which we are to survive are not rules for just and unjust conduct, but are those deeper illuminations in whose light justice and injustice, good and evil, means and ends are seen in fearful sharpness of outline.
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The basis for poetry and scientific discovery is the ability to comprehend the unlike in the like and the like in the unlike.
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