Conjecture Quote by Andrew Hodges
““The popular view that scientists proceed inexorably from well-established fact to well-established fact, never being influenced by any unproved conjecture, is quite mistaken. Provided it is made clear which are proved facts and which are conjectures, no harm can result.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman, 1998
Science advances through a mix of verified facts and bold conjectures; both are essential when progress.
In simple terms: Science needs facts and ideas together.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty while clarifying truth.
Themes
science
methodology
uncertainty
progress
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
academic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- policy making
- innovation
Key Concepts
empiricism
theory
hypothesis
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance speculation and evidence?
- When should conjecture be treated as fact?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on conjecture can mislead without rigorous testing.
![“Physiognomy is not a guide that has been given us by which to judge of the character of men: it may only serve us for conjecture. [Fr., La physionomie n'est pas une regle qui nous soit donnee pour juger des hommes; elle nous peut servir de conjecture.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3cd/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_character_physiognomy-is-not-a-guide-that-has-been_207056.jpg)
![“The classes of problems which are respectively known and not known to have good algorithms are of great theoretical interest. [...] I conjecture that there is no good algorithm for the traveling salesman problem. My reasons are the same as for any mathematical conjecture: (1) It is a legitimate…” quote by Jack Edmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/43a/jack-edmonds-61996_algorithms_the-classes-of-problems-which-are-respec_50487.jpg)
