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Scientists must venture outside their comfort zones to show the public how cool - and how important - their work really is.
Francis Collins
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Scientists are encouraged to step beyond their usual boundaries to effectively communicate the significance of their research.

In this quote, Francis Collins emphasizes the necessity for scientists to engage with the public and highlight the relevance of their work. By leaving their comfort zones, scientists can educate and inspire others about the wonders and importance of scientific endeavors, thereby fostering a greater appreciation and understanding of science in society.

Themes

ScienceCommunicationPublic EngagementImportanceResearch

In practice

Example use cases

During a science fair, a scientist can use this quote to inspire students about the value of their presentations.

More from Francis Collins

All illnesses have some heredity contribution. It's been said that genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger.
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I think history would say that medical research has, throughout many changes of parties, remained as one of the shining lights of bipartisan agreement, that people are concerned about health for themselves, for their families, for their constituents.
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I finished up my graduate degree in quantum mechanics, but underwent a bit of a personal crisis, recognizing that I didn't want to do that for the rest of my life. It was too abstract, too far removed from human concerns.
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The brain is the most complicated organ in the universe. We have learned a lot about other human organs. We know how the heart pumps and how the kidney does what it does. To a certain degree, we have read the letters of the human genome. But the brain has 100 billion neurons. Each one of those has about 10,000 connections.
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I believe God did intend, in giving us intelligence, to give us the opportunity to investigate and appreciate the wonders of His creation. He is not threatened by our scientific adventures.
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I took biology in high school and didn't like it at all. It was focused on memorization. ... I didn't appreciate that biology also had principles and logic ... [rather than dealing with a] messy thing called life. It just wasn't organized, and I wanted to stick with the nice pristine sciences of chemistry and physics, where everything made sense. I wish I had learned sooner that biology could be fun as well.
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