--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For me to sit down here, even as a Nobel…" description: "\"For me to sit down here, even as a Nobel Laureate and make a prediction about which science I think that will be a mistake.\" — Ahmed H. Zewail" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/ahmed-h-zewail-20096_failure_for-me-to-sit-down-here-even-as-a-nobel_1232335.png" --- # For me to sit down here, even as a Nobel Laureate and make… ![“For me to sit down here, even as a Nobel Laureate and make a prediction about which science I think that will be a mistake.” quote by Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/ahmed-h-zewail-20096_failure_for-me-to-sit-down-here-even-as-a-nobel_1232335.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/ahmed-h-zewail-20096_failure_for-me-to-sit-down-here-even-as-a-nobel_1232335.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af0/ahmed-h-zewail-20096_failure_for-me-to-sit-down-here-even-as-a-nobel_1232335.png) > “For me to sit down here, even as a Nobel Laureate and make a prediction about which science I think that will be a mistake.” [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even experts should avoid overconfidence in predicting scientific trends. **In simple terms:** Experts should stay humble about predictions. Key Takeaway Practice humility in forecasts. Themes science humility prediction Mood thoughtful cautious Type academic reflective When to use this quote - Research planning - policy advising - public talks Key Concepts Scientific forecasting epistemic humility Questions to Reflect On - Why is humility vital in science? - How can we improve predictive methods? 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I lost the remaining shreds of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/being-the-first-black-nobel-laureate-and-the-first-african-the/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [George Stigler Nobel laureate and a leader of Chicago School was asked why there were no Nobel Prizes awarded in the other social sciences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/george-stigler-nobel-laureate-and-a-leader-of-chicago-school-was/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [“Kazuo Ishiguro, the New Nobel Laureate, Has Supremely Done His Own Kind of Thing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wood/kazuo-ishiguro-the-new-nobel-laureate-has-supremely-done-his-own-kind/) [James Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wood/) > [Once in a while, I have to pinch myself to remind myself I am Nobel laureate, but that is not part of my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/once-in-a-while-i-have-to-pinch-myself-to-remind-myself-i-am-nobel/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Today, this young woman is me, a Nobel laureate. I'm now on a journey to fulfill the wish, in my tiny capacity, of little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leymah-gbowee/today-this-young-woman-is-me-a-nobel-laureate-i-m-now-on-a-journey-to/) [Leymah Gbowee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leymah-gbowee/) > [How can we speak of right and justice if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood? How can we pray to God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/how-can-we-speak-of-right-and-justice-if-we-take-an-innocent-creature/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [Too many American authors have a servile streak where their backbone should be. Where's our latest Nobel laureate? More than likely you'll find him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/too-many-american-authors-have-a-servile-streak-where-their-backbone/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Funny thing about Bob Dylan, the newest Nobel laureate in literature: He's been a master of self-invention for more than 50 years, creating personae,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-michaelson/funny-thing-about-bob-dylan-the-newest-nobel-laureate-in-literature/) [Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-michaelson/) > [Part of the appeal was that Medawar was not only a Nobel Laureate, but he seemed like a Nobel Laureate; he was everything one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/part-of-the-appeal-was-that-medawar-was-not-only-a-nobel-laureate-but/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [In science it is not enough to think of an important problem on which to work. It is also necessary to know the means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-szilard/in-science-it-is-not-enough-to-think-of-an-important-problem-on-which/) [Leo Szilard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-szilard/) > [Television is just the wrong medium, at least in prime time, to teach science. I think it is hopeless if it insists on behaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bernstein/television-is-just-the-wrong-medium-at-least-in-prime-time-to-teach/) [Jeremy Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bernstein/) > [If we raise a generation of students who dont believe in the process of science, who think everything that weve come to know about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/if-we-raise-a-generation-of-students-who-dont-believe-in-the-process/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) ## More by Ahmed H. Zewail > [I built on the efforts of a previous scientist, others will build on the work I'm doing and if I look at the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-built-on-the-efforts-of-a-previous-scientist-others-will-build-on/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [We still don't understand how the big bang and evolving all the way to the human species and so on. So all of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/we-still-don-t-understand-how-the-big-bang-and-evolving-all-the-way/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [When I was a child, I thought of my Delta town as the center of the universe, but now I realize how little I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/when-i-was-a-child-i-thought-of-my-delta-town-as-the-center-of-the/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [When I give a lecture on Egypt there are thousands of people in the lecture hall, so obviously they would like to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/when-i-give-a-lecture-on-egypt-there-are-thousands-of-people-in-the/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I do feel that there are tremendous amount of talent in Egypt, human resources.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-do-feel-that-there-are-tremendous-amount-of-talent-in-egypt-human/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I do have a concern however, humanity has a great way of adapting and I'm sure scientists of the future, probably after I leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-do-have-a-concern-however-humanity-has-a-great-way-of-adapting-and/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [If you like, there is a Guinness time. The reason for that it's fundamental. It is not that we have to keep shortening the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/if-you-like-there-is-a-guinness-time-the-reason-for-that-it-s/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I thought in my Nobel Lecture I pointed that I was delighted that the Swedish Academy of Science did not quote anything about my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-thought-in-my-nobel-lecture-i-pointed-that-i-was-delighted-that-the/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [Think about the whole world of biological complex sciences. We still don't understand the way a protein folds the way it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/think-about-the-whole-world-of-biological-complex-sciences-we-still/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I came from Egypt and I owe Egypt a lot to what I am now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-came-from-egypt-and-i-owe-egypt-a-lot-to-what-i-am-now/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I think the Nobel Prize helps for a number of reasons. Number one, if I can be frank, there is these people will feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-think-the-nobel-prize-helps-for-a-number-of-reasons-number-one-if-i/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I found with my students they don't necessarily look at journals any more, but they print right away from the internet what's relevant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-found-with-my-students-they-don-t-necessarily-look-at-journals-any/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I do feel quite strongly about this that probably one of the things that unfortunately this age now to get a Nobel Prize is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-do-feel-quite-strongly-about-this-that-probably-one-of-the-things/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [“Interestingly, this was the only incident of blatant prejudice that I can remember. But I am aware that such opinions exist in human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/interestingly-this-was-the-only-incident-of-blatant-prejudice-that-i/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) > [I don't know all the reasons for these achievements, but I know that I love what I do and I have never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-h-zewail/i-don-t-know-all-the-reasons-for-these-achievements-but-i-know-that-i/) [Ahmed H. Zewail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) [Explore all 31 Ahmed H. Zewail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-h-zewail/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For me to sit down here, even as a Nobel Laureate and make a prediction about which science I think that will be a mistake.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ahmed H. 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