---
title: "1 Mathematics Natural Quotes By John Maynard Smith"
description: "1 Mathematics Natural quotes by John Maynard Smith. Plus more from John Maynard Smith and more Mathematics Natural sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c13/john-maynard-smith-28856_evolution_mathematics-without-natural-history-is-s_2138037.png"
---

> [Mathematics without natural history is sterile, but natural history without mathematics is muddled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/mathematics-without-natural-history-is-sterile-but-natural-history/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c13/john-maynard-smith-28856_evolution_mathematics-without-natural-history-is-s_2138037.png)

## More by John Maynard Smith

> [It is an occupational risk of biologists to claim, towards the end of their careers, that the problems which they have not solved are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/it-is-an-occupational-risk-of-biologists-to-claim-towards-the-end-of/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [As an evolutionary biologist, I have learned over the years that most people do not want to see themselves as lumbering robots programmed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/as-an-evolutionary-biologist-i-have-learned-over-the-years-that-most/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [It is in the nature of science that once a position becomes orthodox it should be suggested to criticism… It does not follow that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/it-is-in-the-nature-of-science-that-once-a-position-becomes-orthodox/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Scientific theories tell us what is possible; myths tell us what is desirable. Both are needed to guide proper action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/scientific-theories-tell-us-what-is-possible-myths-tell-us-what-is/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [I can't go around believing in a God that believes suffering is good for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/i-can-t-go-around-believing-in-a-god-that-believes-suffering-is-good/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Evolutionary game theory is a way of thinking about evolution at the phenotypic level when the fitnesses of particular phenotypes depend on their frequencies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/evolutionary-game-theory-is-a-way-of-thinking-about-evolution-at-the/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Paradoxically, it has turned out that game theory is more readily applied to biology than to the field of economic behavior for which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/paradoxically-it-has-turned-out-that-game-theory-is-more-readily/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Language changes very fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/language-changes-very-fast/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [ This argument \[that life is too improbable to have arisen by chance\] comes up repeatedly: its latest manifestation is Hoyle's discussion of the likelihood… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/this-argument-that-life-is-too-improbable-to-have-arisen-by-chance/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [So far, we have been able to study only one evolving system and we cannot wait for interstellar flight to provide us with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/so-far-we-have-been-able-to-study-only-one-evolving-system-and-we/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [The evolution of sex is the hardest problem in evolutionary biology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/the-evolution-of-sex-is-the-hardest-problem-in-evolutionary-biology/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is the only workable explanation that has ever been proposed for the remarkable fact of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/darwin-s-theory-of-evolution-by-natural-selection-is-the-only/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Mathematics without natural history is sterile, but natural history without mathematics is muddled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/mathematics-without-natural-history-is-sterile-but-natural-history/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [“Thus three conclusions emerge from the eye story: (1) it is easier to inherit a ‘vision acquisition device’ than a full-blown hard-wired visual analyser;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/thus-three-conclusions-emerge-from-the-eye-story-1-it-is-easier-to/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

> [Information imposes certain criteria on how it can be stored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-smith/information-imposes-certain-criteria-on-how-it-can-be-stored/)

[John Maynard Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-smith/)

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