The secret of all those who make discoveries is that they regard nothing as impossible.
Justus Von LiebigRead
I would... establish the conviction that Chemistry, as an independent science, offers one of the most powerful means towards the attainment of a higher mental cultivation; that the study of Chemistry is profitable, not only inasmuch as it promotes the material interests of mankind, but also because it furnishes us with insight into those wonders of creation which immediately surround us, and with which our existence, life, and development, are most closely connected.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Chemistry enhances both our material well-being and our understanding of the natural world.
Justus Von Liebig emphasizes the dual benefits of studying chemistry: it not only serves practical, material needs but also enriches our intellectual and spiritual appreciation of the natural phenomena around us. He asserts that an understanding of chemistry is vital for personal development and our connection to the wonders of creation, ultimately leading to a more profound mental cultivation.
Themes
ChemistryScienceEducationUnderstandingDevelopment
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of STEM education, a teacher might quote Liebig to showcase how chemistry fosters intellectual growth.
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Wherever modern Science has exploded a superstitious fable or even a picturesque error, she has replaced it with a grander and even more poetical truth.
George Perkins MarshRead
Man is slightly nearer to the atom than to the star. ... From his central position man can survey the grandest works of Nature with the astronomer, or the minutest works with the physicist. ... [K]nowledge of the stars leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars.
Arthur EddingtonRead
It is in our genes to understand the universe if we can, to keep trying even if we cannot, and to be enchanted by the act of learning all the way.
Lewis ThomasRead
Gases are distinguished from other forms of matter, not only by their power of indefinite expansion so as to fill any vessel, however large, and by the great effect heat has in dilating them, but by the uniformity and simplicity of the laws which regulate these changes.
James Clerk MaxwellRead
I, too, am convinced that our ancestors came from Africa.
Richard LeakeyRead
It is possible in medicine, even when you intend to do good, to do harm instead. That is why science thrives on actively encouraging criticism rather than stifling it.
Richard DawkinsRead