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See first, think later, then test. But always see first. Otherwise you will only see what you were expecting. Most scientists forget that.
Douglas Adams
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of observation and open-mindedness in scientific inquiry.

Douglas Adams highlights the crucial step of observing phenomena before forming expectations or conclusions. He warns that if scientists merely look for what they expect to see, they risk missing important insights, thus encouraging a more exploratory and less biased approach to understanding the world.

Themes

Scientific MethodObservationCuriosityExpectationOpen-Mindedness

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a lecture about the scientific method to stress the importance of observation.

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Quote by Douglas Adams | QuoteProject