Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
That is the way of the scientist. He will spend thirty years in building up a mountain range of facts with the intent to prove a certain theory; then he is so happy with his achievement that as a rule he overlooks the main chief fact of all-that all his accumulation proves an entirely different thing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Scientists often focus on building evidence to support theories, sometimes missing the bigger picture revealed by their findings.
In this quote, Mark Twain highlights the tendency of scientists to become so entrenched in their quest to gather data supporting a hypothesis that they may overlook the broader implications of their discoveries. This reflects a common pitfall in scientific inquiry, where the pursuit of validation can blind researchers to alternative interpretations of their work, emphasizing the importance of remaining open-minded about the outcomes of their research.
Themes
ScienceTheoryFactsDiscoveryPerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a science presentation, I could use this quote to emphasize the importance of considering all evidence rather than only that which supports a hypothesis.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
Mark TwainRead
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
Mark TwainRead
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Mark TwainRead
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
Mark TwainRead
In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
Mark TwainRead
Similar quotes
Our best theories are not only truer than common sense, they make more sense than common sense...
David DeutschRead
By refocusing our space program on Mars for America's future, we can restore the sense of wonder and adventure in space exploration that we knew in the summer of 1969. We won the moon race; now it's time for us to live and work on Mars, first on its moons and then on its surface.
Buzz AldrinRead
How lucky we are to live in this time / the first moment in human history / when we are in fact visiting other worlds
Carl SaganRead
I think the appropriate response for a physicist is: 'I do not find the concept of God very interesting, because I cannot test it.'
Brian GreeneRead
A theory should not attempt to explain all the facts, because some of the facts are wrong
Francis CrickRead
When I am in the company of scientists, I feel like a shabby curate who has strayed by mistake into a drawing room full of dukes.
W. H. AudenRead