Great scientist Quote by Ben Stein
“When we just saw that man, I think it was Mr. Myers, talking about how great scientists were, I was thinking to myself the last time any of my relatives saw scientists telling them what to do they were telling them to go to the showers to get gassed. That was horrifying beyond words, and that's where science - in my opinion, this is just an opinion - that's where science leads you.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Unknown, attributed to Ben Stein
Science can be frightening when misused, yet it also leads to progress; the speaker expresses mixed feelings.
In simple terms: Science can be scary yet useful.
Key Takeaway
Balance fear with curiosity about science.
Themes
science
fear
progress
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
conversational
When to use this quote
- medical advances
- environmental policy
- education curricula
Key Concepts
ethics
technology
public perception
Questions to Reflect On
- What scares you about scientific advances?
- How can we improve public understanding of science?
A Different Perspective
Science can be misinterpreted without context.
![“When you are famous it is hard to work on small problems. This is what did [Claude Elwood] Shannon in. After information theory, what do you do for an encore? The great scientists often make this error. They fail to continue to plant the little acorns from which the mighty oak trees grow. They try…” quote by Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ae/richard-hamming-14135_acorns_when-you-are-famous-it-is-hard-to-work-o_2457509.jpg)
![“[Great scientists] are men of bold ideas, but highly critical of their own ideas: they try to find whether their ideas are right by trying first to find whether they are not perhaps wrong. They work with bold conjectures and severe attempts at refuting their own conjectures.” quote by Karl Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb7/karl-popper-2167_conjecture_great-scientists-are-men-of-bold-ideas-b_1147559.jpg)
![“Each worldview was a cultural product, but evolution is true and separate creation is not. [...] Worldviews are social constructions, and they channel the search for facts. But facts are found and knowledge progresses, however fitfully. Fact and theory are intertwined, and all great scientists…” quote by Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/488/stephen-jay-gould-885_biology_each-worldview-was-a-cultural-product-bu_305934.jpg)
