When results are shared freely amongst the biological community, as has been done for the worm and the Human Genome Projects, specialist scientists can move much more rapidly towards their goals.
Interpretation
Sharing scientific results accelerates progress in research.
This quote emphasizes the importance of open collaboration and data sharing in the scientific community. John Sulston highlights how freely sharing results, such as those from the Human Genome and worm projects, enables scientists to work more efficiently towards their research objectives, fostering innovation and rapid advancements in knowledge.
In practice
In a conference on scientific research, one could use this quote to advocate for more open data initiatives.
The scientific theorist is not to be envied. For Nature, or more precisely experiment, is an exorable and not very friendly judge of his work. It never says "yes" to a theory. In the most favorable cases it says "Maybe," and in the great majority of cases simply "No." If an experiment agrees with a theory it means for the latter "Maybe," and if it does not agree it means "No." Probably every theory will some day experience its "No" - most theories, soon after conception.
I sometimes try to imagine what would have happened if we’d known the bonobo first and the chimpanzee only later—or not at all. The discussion about human evolution might not revolve as much around violence, warfare and male dominance, but rather around sexuality, empathy, caring and cooperation. What a different intellectual landscape we would occupy!
There might be a hidden structure in pi that we simply haven't discovered.
To consult the statistician after an experiment is finished is often merely to ask him to conduct a post mortem examination. He can perhaps say what the experiment died of.
People credit me for making the universe interesting when in fact the universe is inherently interesting, and I'm merely revealing that fact. I don't think I'm anything special for this to happen.
Facts are not science - as the dictionary is not literature.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.