Scientific discovery and scientific knowledge have been achieved only by those who have gone in pursuit of it without any practical purpose whatsoever in view.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Throughout history, people have studied pure science from a desire to understand the universe rather than practical applications for commercial gain. But their discoveries later turned out to have great practical benefits.
No one undertakes research in physics with the intention of winning a prize. It is the joy of discovering something no one knew before.
No single achievement in science is possible without the painstaking work of the many hundreds who have built the foundation on which all new work is based.
That knowledge which is popular is not scientific.
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge.
The historical development of the work of anthropologists seems to single out clearly a domain of knowledge that heretofore has not been treated by any other science.
Indeed science alone may perhaps be sterile when pursued without an understanding of the world in which scientific knowledge is created and in which the fruits of science are used.
The characteristic of scientific progress is our knowing that we did not know.
My own beliefs are that the road to a scientific discovery is seldom direct and that it does not necessarily require great expertise. In fact, I am convinced that often a newcomer to a field has a great advantage because he is ignorant and does not know all the complicated reasons why a particular experiment should not be attempted.
However far modern science and techniques have fallen short of their inherent possibilities, they have taught mankind at least one lesson; nothing is impossible.
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