Every student who enters upon a scientific pursuit, especially if at a somewhat advanced period of life, will find not only that he has much to learn, but much also to unlearn.
Interpretation
Scientific pursuits require both learning new concepts and letting go of outdated beliefs.
This quote emphasizes the duality of the learning process in science, illustrating that, in addition to acquiring new knowledge, students often must also discard old perceptions or misconceptions that hinder their understanding. John Herschel acknowledges the complex nature of education, especially for those who may have preconceived ideas that need to be reevaluated as they delve deeper into scientific exploration.
In practice
During a lecture on scientific methodology, this quote can highlight the importance of openness to new ideas.
Almost all the greatest discoveries in astronomy have resulted from what we have elsewhere termed Residual Phenomena, of a qualitative or numerical kind, of such portions of the numerical or quantitative results of observation as remain outstanding and unaccounted for, after subducting and allowing for all that would result from the strict application of known principles.
...Nature builds up her refined and invisible architecture, with a delicacy eluding our conception, yet with a symmetry and beauty which we are never weary of admiring.
To the natural philosopher, there is no natural object unimportant or trifling. From the least of Nature's works he may learn the greatest lessons.
The least of the work of learning is done in the classroom.
Perhaps I could best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of entering a dark mansion. You go into the first room and it's dark, completely dark. You stumble around, bumping into the furniture. Gradually, you learn where each piece of furniture is. And finally, after six months or so, you find the light switch and turn it on. Suddenly, it's all illuminated and you can see exactly where you were. Then you enter the next dark room.
Good teachers never say anything. What they do is create the conditions under which learning takes place.
All summer, I read fiction because you must read for the pleasure and beauty of it, and not only for research. I don't read thrillers, romance or mystery, and I don't read self-help books because I don't believe in shortcuts and loopholes.
Nothing is more common than for men to think that because they are familiar with words they understand the ideas they stand for.
By the time I got to school, I had already read a couple hundred books. I knew in the first grade that they were lying to me because I had already been exposed to other points of view. School is basically about one point of view -- the one the teacher has or the textbooks have. They don't like the idea of having different points of view, so it was a battle. Of course I would pipe up with my five-year-old voice.
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