I have made hundreds of dives in submersibles, with each dive holding the promise of seeing an organism or a behavior that no one has ever seen before. But I have always wondered about the animals and behaviors that we're not seeing because our bright lights and loud thrusters scare them away.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the curiosity and concerns of exploring the unknown and the impact of human presence on marine life.
Edith Widder's quote encapsulates the excitement of scientific exploration in the depths of the ocean, illustrating the dual nature of discovery. While every dive brings the potential for new observations of unique organisms and behaviors, it also raises poignant questions about what is missed due to human interference, highlighting the delicate balance between exploration and the preservation of natural habitats.
In practice
This quote can be used during a marine biology seminar to emphasize the importance of understanding oceanic ecosystems.
People often ask me why I persisted in doing research on a subject that was so controversial. I frequently respond by telling them that only a few scientists are granted the great fortune to pursue topics that are so new and different that only a small number of people can grasp the meaning of such discoveries initially.
If you go down through the horizon of a black hole, at the center you don't find a tunnel that leads you to some other place in the universe.
The universe is a symphony of strings, and the mind of God that Einstein eloquently wrote about for thirty years would be cosmic music resonating through eleven-dimensional hyper space.
The real accomplishment of modern science and technology consists in taking ordinary men, informing them narrowly and deeply and then, through appropriate organization, arranging to have their knowledge combined with that of other specialized but equally ordinary men. This dispenses with the need for genius. The resulting performance, though less inspiring, is far more predictable.
The progress of Science consists in observing interconnections and in showing with a patient ingenuity that the events of this ever-shifting world are but examples of a few general relations, called laws. To see what is general in what is particular, and what is permanent in what is transitory, is the aim of scientific thought.
We put water down into the earth to push up gas, then we say, 'Ooh, we're having a water crisis.' This is foolishness, and this kind of foolishness, where we try to excuse human behavior, is dangerous.
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