In a spiral galaxy, the ratio of dark-to-light matter is about a factor of ten. That's probably a good number for the ratio of our ignorance-to-knowledge. We're out of kindergarten, but only in about third grade.
I try to do my science in a moral way, and, I believe that, ideally, science should be looked upon as something that helps us understand our role in the universe.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Science should be conducted ethically and seen as a tool for understanding our place in the universe.
Vera Rubin emphasizes the moral responsibility that comes with scientific inquiry, highlighting that science should not only seek to unveil the mysteries of the universe but should also guide us in understanding our ethical and existential positions within it. By elevating science beyond mere experimentation and observation, Rubin advocates for a perspective where scientific knowledge enriches our comprehension of life and our responsibilities as stewards of knowledge.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the ethical implications of scientific research during a science conference.
More from Vera Rubin
All quotes →We need senators who have studied physics and representatives who understand ecology.
Nobody ever told us all matter radiated. We just assumed it did.
There was just nothing as interesting in my life as watching the stars every night.
I had the usual friends who pointed out constellations of stars. But it really was watching the stars. It was getting some sense of the motion of the earth. I found it a remarkable thing.
I think the question is, are there women and have there been women who want to do science and could be doing great science, but they never really got the opportunity?
Similar quotes
I am actually weary of telling people that I do not pretend to adduce [direct] evidence of one species changing into another, but I believe that this view is in the main correct, because so many phenomena can thus be grouped end explained.
If our local, observable universe is embedded in a larger structure, a multiverse, then there's other places in this larger structure that have denizens in them that call their local environs the universe. And conditions in those other places could be very different. Or they could be pretty similar to what we have here.
I can easily conceive, most Holy Father, that as soon as some people learn that in this book which I have written concerning the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, I ascribe certain motions to the Earth, they will cry out at once that I and my theory should be rejected.
Science is founded on uncertainty. Each time we learn something new and surprising, the astonishment comes with the realization that we were wrong before.
Any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis: you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory.
Some claim evolution is just a theory. As if it were merely an opinion. The theory of evolution, like the theory of gravity, is a scientific fact. Evolution really happened. Accepting our kinship with all life on Earth is not only solid science. In my view, it’s also a soaring spiritual experience.