Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including me. And so that's the atmosphere in which you administer.
George P. ShultzRead
What we want is scientists who don't become part of the policy discussion: All they do is produce science. If someone becomes an advocate, then I won't pay as much attention to their science.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientists should remain impartial and focus on producing objective science rather than engaging in policy debates.
In this quote, George P. Shultz emphasizes the importance of maintaining the integrity and neutrality of scientific research. He argues that when scientists become advocates for specific policies, their objectivity can be compromised, making their scientific contributions less credible. The quote reflects a concern for the public perception of science and the role scientists should play in societal issues.
Themes
ScienceObjectivityPolicyIntegrityAdvocacy
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on climate change, this quote could be used to remind policymakers of the need for unbiased scientific input.
More from George P. Shultz
All quotes βIf they are too big to fail, make them smaller.
George P. ShultzRead
He who walks in the middle of the roads gets hit from both sides.
George P. ShultzRead
The minute you start talking about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost.
George P. ShultzRead
I want my grandchildren to be proud of me. That's the main thing.
George P. ShultzRead
Increasingly, the state system has been eroding. Terrorists have exploited this weakness by burrowing into the state system in order to attack it.
George P. ShultzRead
Similar quotes
What really happens is that the gene pool becomes filled with genes that influence bodies in such a way that they behave 'as if' they made complex, if unconscious, cost/benefit calculations
Richard DawkinsRead
If there is anything more frightening than the threat of global nuclear war, it is the certainty that humans not only stand on the verge of producing new life forms but may soon be able to tinker with them as if they were vintage convertibles or bonsai trees.
Michael SpecterRead
Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.
Galileo GalileiRead
The stress response is incredibly ancient evolutionarily. Fish, birds and reptiles secrete the same stress hormones we do, yet their metabolism doesn't get messed up the way it does in people and other primates.
Robert SapolskyRead
Low socioeconomic status carries with it an enormously increased risk of a broad range of diseases, and this gradient cannot be fully explained by factors such as health-care access.
Robert SapolskyRead
When we see the shadow on our images, are we seeing the time 11 minutes ago on Mars? Or are we seeing the time on Mars as observed from Earth now? It's like time travel problems in science fiction. When is now; when was then?
Bill NyeRead