Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
Has there ever been a religion with the prophetic accuracy and reliability of science? . . . No other human institution comes close.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the unmatched reliability of scientific inquiry compared to other belief systems.
Carl Sagan highlights the unmatched accuracy and dependability of science as a method of understanding the universe. Unlike religious or mythical frameworks, science relies on evidence, experimentation, and observation, establishing a strong foundation for knowledge that no other human institution has been able to replicate.
Themes
ScienceReliabilityKnowledgeAccuracyInquiry
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on the importance of education, this quote can reinforce the value of scientific literacy.
More from Carl Sagan
All quotes βIn more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
Carl SaganRead
How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
Carl SaganRead
The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
Carl SaganRead
There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
Carl SaganRead
The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
Carl SaganRead
Similar quotes
What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?
Steven NovellaRead
Evolution, thus, is merely contingent on certain processes articulated by Darwin: variation and selection. No longer is a fixed object transformed, as in transformational evolution, but an entirely new start is, so to speak, made in every generation.
Ernst MayrRead
As a true scientist, I have been proved wrong so many times that I'm very humble.
Kip ThorneRead
At the simplest level, economics can better show us the consequences of our actions. Less simple are cases in which we don't have the knowledge to predict the full consequences. Global warming and climate change are examples.
Edmund PhelpsRead
The fossil reserves that have already been discovered exceed what can ever be safely used. Yet companies spend half a trillion dollars each year searching for more fuel. They should redirect this money toward developing clean energy solutions
Desmond TutuRead
The creative scientist studies nature with the rapt gaze of the lover, and is guided as often by aesthetics as by rational considerations in guessing how nature works.
Albert EinsteinRead