Every aspect of the world today - even politics and international relations - is affected by chemistry.
Linus PaulingRead
Facts are the air of scientists. Without them you can never fly.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Facts are essential for scientific progress and understanding; without them, one cannot achieve true knowledge.
In this quote, Linus Pauling emphasizes the importance of facts in scientific inquiry. Just as air is necessary for flight, facts provide the foundation for scientists to explore, hypothesize, and innovate. Without grounding one's work in empirical evidence, it is impossible to reach meaningful conclusions or advancements, underscoring the necessity of a factual basis in all scientific endeavors.
Themes
FactsScienceKnowledgeTruthEvidence
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a classroom setting when discussing the scientific method.
More from Linus Pauling
All quotes βAlthough physicians, as part of their training, are taught that the dosage of a drug that is prescribed for the patient must be very carefully determined and controlled, they seem to have difficulty in remembering that the same principle applies to the vitamins.
Linus PaulingRead
I like people. I like animals, too-whales and quail, dinosaurs and dodos. But I like human beings especially, and I am unhappy that the pool of human germ plasm, which determines the nature of the human race, is deteriorating.
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Just one living cell in the human body is, more complex than New York City.
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The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away.
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By the proper intakes of vitamins and other nutrients and by following a few other healthful practices from youth or middle age on, you can, I believe, extend your life and years of well-being by twenty-five or even thirty-five years.
Linus PaulingRead
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