Refining is inevitable in science when you have made measurements of a phenomenon for a long period of time.
Interpretation
Refining measurements in science is a natural process over time as we gather more data.
The quote by Charles Francis Richter emphasizes the idea that in the scientific field, as we conduct long-term observations and gather data about a particular phenomenon, it becomes necessary to refine our measurements and understandings. This is because science is both a methodical and evolving discipline, where ongoing research leads to better accuracy and comprehension, highlighting the dynamic nature of scientific inquiry.
In practice
During a scientific conference, one could use this quote to illustrate the importance of continuous improvement in research methods.
Magnitude may be compared to the power output in kilowatts of a [radio] broadcasting station; local intensity, on the Mercalli or similar scale, is then comparable to the signal strength noted on a receiver at a given locality. Intensity, like signal strength, will generally fall off with distance from the source; it will also depend on local conditions at the point of observation, and to some extent on the conditions along the path from source to that point.
Only fools, liars, and charlatans predict earthquakes
I have a sense of humor; but over the years that sense has developed one blind spot. I can no longer laugh at ignorance or stupidity. Those are our chief enemies, and it is dangerous to make fun of them.
Very much, string theory is simply a work in progress. What we are inching toward every day are predictions that within the realm of current technology we hope to test. It's not like we're working on a theory that is permanently beyond experiment. That would be philosophy.
Low socioeconomic status carries with it an enormously increased risk of a broad range of diseases, and this gradient cannot be fully explained by factors such as health-care access.
Bertrand Russell had given a talk on the then new quantum mechanics, of whose wonders he was most appreciative. He spoke hard and earnestly in the New Lecture Hall. And when he was done, Professor Whitehead, who presided, thanked him for his efforts, and not least for 'leaving the vast darkness of the subject unobscured'.
The theory of our modern technic shows that nothing is as practical as theory.
I would still very much love to change the world, and there are three or four neurological diseases that I've got a personal grudge against. I wouldn't mind mopping them up in one amazing experiment to come out of my lab, and I certainly wouldn't mind transforming hundreds of thousands of people's lives overnight with some discovery.
The history of the universe is, in effect, a huge and ongoing quantum computation. The universe is a quantum computer.
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