Every student of science, even if he cannot start his journey where his predecessors left off, can at least travel their beaten track more quickly than they could while they were clearing the way: and so before his race is run, he comes to virgin forest and becomes himself a pioneer.
Interpretation
Science builds upon the work of those before us, enabling faster progress for future learners.
In this quote, Theodore William Richards emphasizes the importance of foundational knowledge in science. He suggests that each new generation of scientists stands on the shoulders of their predecessors, allowing them to explore and discover more quickly than those who initially cleared the path. By navigating the established knowledge, they can pioneer new ideas and innovations, ultimately contributing to the vast expanse of scientific discovery.
In practice
During a science conference, one might quote this to highlight the importance of collaborative research.
What really matters for me is ... the more active role of the observer in quantum physics ... According to quantum physics the observer has indeed a new relation to the physical events around him in comparison with the classical observer, who is merely a spectator.
Science, at bottom, is really anti-intellectual. It always distrusts pure reason, and demands the production of objective fact.
I'm in favor of changing the destination of humans. There are a lot of manned missions that can be done, but not in the direction of the moon.
I’ve spent something like 17 years working on a theory for which there is essentially no direct experimental support.
Every theory presented as a scientific concept is just that; it's a theory that tries to explain more about the world than previous theories have done. It is open to being challenged and to being proven incorrect.
When we think about global warming at all, the arguments tend to be ideological, theological and economic.
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