People are reasonably good at estimating how things add up, but for compounding, which involved repeated multiplication, we fail to appreciate how quickly things grow.
Paul RomerRead
When somebody discovers something like the quadratic formula or the Pythagorean theorem, the convention in science is that he can't control that idea. He has to give it away. He publishes it. What's rewarded in science is dissemination of ideas.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientific discoveries are meant to be shared, not hoarded.
In this quote, Paul Romer emphasizes the importance of sharing scientific knowledge and discoveries rather than keeping them to oneself. The fundamental principle of science is that once a new idea or theorem is discovered, it is the duty of the discoverer to publish and disseminate that knowledge so that others can benefit from it, thus advancing collective understanding and progress in the field.
Themes
ScienceKnowledgeDisseminationIdeasDiscovery
In practice
Example use cases
During a science conference, you might reference this quote to stress the importance of sharing research findings.
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My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity.
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Time travel used to be thought of as just science fiction, but Einstein's general theory of relativity allows for the possibility that we could warp space-time so much that you could go off in a rocket and return before you set out.
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