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It is high time that laymen abandoned the misleading…

“It is high time that laymen abandoned the misleading belief that scientific enquiry is a cold dispassionate enterprise, bleached of imaginative qualities, and that a scientist is a man who turns the handle of discovery; for at every level of endeavour scientific research is a passionate…” quote by Peter Medawar
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“It is high time that laymen abandoned the misleading belief that scientific enquiry is a cold dispassionate enterprise, bleached of imaginative qualities, and that a scientist is a man who turns the handle of discovery; for at every level of endeavour scientific research is a passionate undertaking and the Promotion of Natural Knowledge depends above all on a sortee into what can be imagined but is not yet known.”

Peter Medawar

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Scientific research is driven by imagination and passion, not just cold logic.

In simple terms: Science needs imagination.

Key Takeaway

Embrace curiosity in research.

Themes

science imagination passion knowledge research

Mood

inspired thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

  • Laboratory work
  • grant writing
  • public outreach
  • educational curriculum

Key Concepts

Creativity Inquiry Discovery

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can imagination be balanced with empirical testing?
  • What role does passion play in scientific breakthroughs?
A Different Perspective

Imagination alone cannot replace rigorous methodology.

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