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And what I wanted to do was, I wanted to explore problems and areas where we didn't have answers. In fact, where we didn't even know the right questions to ask.
Donald Johanson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes the importance of curiosity and the quest for knowledge in unexplored areas.

Donald Johanson highlights the value of exploration and inquiry in fields where understanding is lacking, suggesting that the pursuit of knowledge often begins with recognizing our own ignorance. This mindset encourages open-mindedness and fosters innovation as it focuses on addressing unanswered questions and discovering new possibilities.

Themes

ExplorationCuriosityKnowledgeQuestionsDiscovery

In practice

Example use cases

A scientist giving a lecture on the importance of curiosity in research.

More from Donald Johanson

Evolution is a fact. It is the best explanation of what is known from observations. It's a theory as powerful as the theory of gravity.
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When I realized, in 1978, that Lucy did represent a new species of human ancestor, and that I had an opportunity to name this new species, I realized this was a revolutionary step in understanding human origins.
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Where we are going as a species is a big question. Human evolution certainly hasn't stopped. Every time individuals produce a new zygote, there's a reshuffling and recombination of genes. And we don't know where all of that is going to take us.
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I think that many of my ideas are correct, but I'll bet you, before my death other discoveries will be made that will prompt me to alter various ideas I have about human evolution.
Donald JohansonRead

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