That which is not measurable is not science. That which is not physics is stamp collecting.
Ernest RutherfordRead
Should a young scientist working with me come to me after two years of such work and ask me what to do next, I would advise him to get out of science. After two years of work, if a man does not know what to do next, he will never make a real scientist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Persistence and clarity in purpose are essential for a successful scientific career.
This quote emphasizes the importance of having a clear direction and understanding of one's work in science. If a scientist has spent two years in research and still lacks a vision for their future, it suggests they may not possess the necessary drive or clarity of thought required to thrive in the scientific community. Success in science relies on both persistence and the ability to navigate one's path forward.
Themes
ScienceCareerScientistPersistenceDirection
In practice
Example use cases
A mentor giving advice to a graduate student contemplating their future in academia.
More from Ernest Rutherford
All quotes →The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.
Ernest RutherfordRead
I am a great believer in the simplicity of things and as you probably know I am inclined to hang on to broad & simple ideas like grim death until evidence is too strong for my tenacity.
Ernest RutherfordRead
All science is either physics or stamp collecting.
Ernest RutherfordRead
Now I know what the atom looks like.
Ernest RutherfordRead
If your result needs a statistician then you should design a better experiment.
Ernest RutherfordRead
Similar quotes
Science attempts to find logic and simplicity in nature. Mathematics attempts to establish order and simplicity in human thought.
Edward TellerRead
The enemy of science is not religion... . The true enemy is the substitution of thought, reflection, and curiosity with dogma.
Frans De WaalRead
A scientist's aim in a discussion with his colleagues is not to persuade, but to clarify.
Leo SzilardRead
People are going to buy cheap fertilizer so they can grow enough crops to feed themselves, which will be increasingly difficult with climate change.
Bill GatesRead
When I began in 1960, individuality wasn't an accepted thing to look for; it was about species-specific behaviour. But animal behaviour is not hard science. There's room for intuition.
Jane GoodallRead
A science is not mere knowledge, it is knowledge which has undergone a process of intellectual digestion. It is the grasp of many things brought together in one, and hence is its power; for, properly speaking, it is Science that is power, not Knowledge.
John Henry NewmanRead