Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
Science cuts two ways, of course; its products can be used for both good and evil. But there's no turning back from science. The early warnings about technological dangers also come from science.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science has the potential for both beneficial and harmful outcomes, and its progress is unavoidable.
In this quote, Carl Sagan highlights the dual nature of scientific advancements, emphasizing that while science can lead to miraculous benefits, it also carries the potential for significant harm. He points out that the very tools that warn us about technological dangers stem from the same scientific progress, reminding us that we cannot retract the advancement of science and must navigate its implications responsibly.
Themes
ScienceTechnologyGoodEvilProgressResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
More from Carl Sagan
All quotes →In more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
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How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
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The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
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There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
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The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
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