We will first understand how simple the universe is when we recognize how strange it is.
John Archibald WheelerRead
In evolution, as in all areas of science, our knowledge is incomplete. But the entire success of the scientific enterprise has depended on an insistence that these gaps be filled by natural explanations, logically derived from confirmable evidence. Because "intelligent design" theories are based on supernatural explanations, they can have nothing to do with science.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientific knowledge is always a work in progress, requiring evidence-based explanations rather than supernatural beliefs.
In this quote, Bruce Alberts emphasizes that science relies on empirical evidence and logical reasoning to fill gaps in knowledge regarding evolution. He argues that the scientific enterprise fosters progress by adhering to a methodology grounded in natural explanations, and critiques 'intelligent design' theories for relying on supernatural explanations that do not align with scientific inquiry.
Themes
EvolutionScienceEvidenceKnowledgeNatural Explanations
In practice
Example use cases
During a science symposium, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of evidence in scientific discussions.
Similar quotes
I profess to learn and to teach anatomy not from books but from dissections, not from the tenets of Philosophers but from the fabric of Nature.
William HarveyRead
It turns out your conscious mind - the part you think of as you - is really the smallest part of what’s happening in your brain, and usually the last one in line to find out any information.
David EaglemanRead
There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.
Lord KelvinRead
We need to start thinking about the future of food if we are going to feed 9 billion people in a way that does not destroy our environment.
Bill GatesRead
Going to Mars would evolve humankind into a two-planet species.
Buzz AldrinRead