--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science is the description of phenomena…" description: "\"Science is the description of phenomena and the formulation of their relations.\" — Boris Sidis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg" --- # Science is the description of phenomena and the… ![“Science is the description of phenomena and the formulation of their relations.” quote by Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg) > “Science is the description of phenomena and the formulation of their relations.” [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science explains observable events and connects them through relationships. **In simple terms:** Science describes and links phenomena. Key Takeaway Focus on observable relations. Themes science philosophy methodology Mood inquisitive neutral Type philosophical methodological When to use this quote - research design - data analysis - theory building Key Concepts description relation empiricism Questions to Reflect On - What relationships are hidden behind observations? - How to balance description with causation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on description can ignore underlying mechanisms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Description](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description/) [Description Phenomena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description-phenomena-6152480/) [Formulation Relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formulation-relations-6152479/) [Phenomena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomena/) [Phenomena Formulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomena-formulation-6152478/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Description](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-description-5759527/) ## Related quotes > [“Natural science is either the description of forms (morphology) or the explanation of changes (etiology). Neither can afford us the information we chiefly desire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/natural-science-is-either-the-description-of-forms-morphology-or-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I strongly believe that the fundamental laws of nature are not emergent phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gross/i-strongly-believe-that-the-fundamental-laws-of-nature-are-not/) [David Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gross/) > [Science proceeds by successive answers to questions more and more subtle, coming nearer and nearer to the very essence of phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/science-proceeds-by-successive-answers-to-questions-more-and-more/) [Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/) > [Even if 'going retrograde' or 'moving into Aquarius' were real phenomena, something that planets actually do, what influence could they possibly have on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/even-if-going-retrograde-or-moving-into-aquarius-were-real-phenomena/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Only by observing this condition would the results of our work be regarded as fully conclusive and as having elucidated the normal course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-pavlov/only-by-observing-this-condition-would-the-results-of-our-work-be/) [Ivan Pavlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-pavlov/) > [“Disaster is rarely as pervasive as it seems from recorded accounts. The fact of being on the record makes it appear continuous and ubiquitous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-w-tuchman/disaster-is-rarely-as-pervasive-as-it-seems-from-recorded-accounts/) [Barbara W. Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-w-tuchman/) > [You have, like the external world, your own phenomena inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/you-have-like-the-external-world-your-own-phenomena-inside/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Hopefully we are emerging from an era of fantasy explanations for real phenomena. The authors certainly have to face a community of therapists who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-david-wall/hopefully-we-are-emerging-from-an-era-of-fantasy-explanations-for/) [Patrick David Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-david-wall/) > [“Because this island is full of inimical phenomena.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/because-this-island-is-full-of-inimical-phenomena/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [GUIL: A scientific approach to the examination of phenomena is a defence against the pure emotion of fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/guil-a-scientific-approach-to-the-examination-of-phenomena-is-a/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“Dream: I look for Lama Lodrö Kagyu teacher friend hearing he's ill & I'm ill, too - I enter his room and he says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-olmsted/dream-i-look-for-lama-lodr-kagyu-teacher-friend-hearing-he-s-ill-i-m/) [Marc Olmsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-olmsted/) > [Psychosis is a very Western phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-villoldo/psychosis-is-a-very-western-phenomena/) [Alberto Villoldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-villoldo/) > [“As a phenomenon, life has a beginning and ending, but life itself doesn’t. So, which one is truly me - a phenomenon that lasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilchi-lee/as-a-phenomenon-life-has-a-beginning-and-ending-but-life-itself-doesn/) [Ilchi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilchi-lee/) > [I have been much amused at ye singular phenomena resulting from bringing of a needle into contact with a piece of amber or resin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/i-have-been-much-amused-at-ye-singular-phenomena-resulting-from/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## More by Boris Sidis > [Social laughter is momentary, soon burns itself out and passes away like the fire and smokes of straw, but genius shakes the very skies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/social-laughter-is-momentary-soon-burns-itself-out-and-passes-away/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The main source of psychopathic diseases is the fundamental instinct of fear with its manifestations, the feeling of anxiety, anguish, and worry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-main-source-of-psychopathic-diseases-is-the-fundamental-instinct/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Not purpose but chance is at the heart of mental life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/not-purpose-but-chance-is-at-the-heart-of-mental-life/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Psychology is the science of psychic states both as to content and form, regarded from an objective standpoint, and brought in relation to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/psychology-is-the-science-of-psychic-states-both-as-to-content-and/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Mental synthesis of psychic content in the unity of a moment-consciousness is a fundamental principle of psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/mental-synthesis-of-psychic-content-in-the-unity-of-a-moment/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The man of genius whether as artist or thinker requires a mass of accidental variations to select from and a rigidly selective process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-man-of-genius-whether-as-artist-or-thinker-requires-a-mass-of/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The psycho-physiological hypothesis is both inductively and deductively the sine qua non of the science of psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-psycho-physiological-hypothesis-is-both-inductively-and/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The course of evolution is to a greater integration of similarly functioning ganglia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-course-of-evolution-is-to-a-greater-integration-of-similarly/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The general tendency of evolution is from structure to function, from bondage to freedom of the individual elements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-general-tendency-of-evolution-is-from-structure-to-function-from/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The principle of recognition of evil under all its guises is at the basis of the true education of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-principle-of-recognition-of-evil-under-all-its-guises-is-at-the/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Suggestibility varies as the amount of disaggregation, and inversely as the unification of consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/suggestibility-varies-as-the-amount-of-disaggregation-and-inversely/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Self-preservation is the central aim of all life-activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/self-preservation-is-the-central-aim-of-all-life-activities/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The tendency of life is not the preservation of the species, but solely the preservation of each individual organism, as long as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-tendency-of-life-is-not-the-preservation-of-the-species-but/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [The recognition, the diagnosis, and the preservation of psychopathic individuals account for the apparent increase of neurotics in civilized communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/the-recognition-the-diagnosis-and-the-preservation-of-psychopathic/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) > [Psychology must postulate uniformity of interrelation of physical, physiological, and psychic processes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/psychology-must-postulate-uniformity-of-interrelation-of-physical/) [Boris Sidis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) [Explore all 20 Boris Sidis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/) ## More Description quotes > [Developing fewer features allows you to conserve development resources and spend more time refining those features that users really need. Fewer features mean fewer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-nielsen/developing-fewer-features-allows-you-to-conserve-development/) [Jakob Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-nielsen/) > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [“There was a short railway official travelling up to the terminus, three fairly short market-gardeners picked up two stations afterwards, one very short widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-was-a-short-railway-official-travelling-up-to-the-terminus/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [First of all, principles should be general. That is, it must be possible to formulate them without use of what would be intuitively recognized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/first-of-all-principles-should-be-general-that-is-it-must-be-possible/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [I already know what things look like - I don't want description. People believe in appearances, and I don't believe in appearances at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-michals/i-already-know-what-things-look-like-i-don-t-want-description-people/) [Duane Michals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-michals/) > [Selfish hedonism is not a pejorative. It is a description - an exactly accurate description of what is involved in homosexual relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/selfish-hedonism-is-not-a-pejorative-it-is-a-description-an-exactly/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Part of my plan was not only to introduce all useful animals that I possibly could into this part of Australia, but also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-grey/part-of-my-plan-was-not-only-to-introduce-all-useful-animals-that-i/) [George Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-grey/) > [The camera is simply not the supple and powerful instrument of description that the pen is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-malcolm/the-camera-is-simply-not-the-supple-and-powerful-instrument-of/) [Janet Malcolm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-malcolm/) > [The word actress has always seemed less a job description to me than a title](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/the-word-actress-has-always-seemed-less-a-job-description-to-me-than/) [Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [Christianity also stands in opposition to intellectual, as well as physical, health. To doubt becomes sin. 'Faith means not wanting to know what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sheaffer/christianity-also-stands-in-opposition-to-intellectual-as-well-as/) [Robert Sheaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sheaffer/) > [My tears will keep no channel, know no laws to guide their streams, but like the waves, their cause, run with disturbance till they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleveland/my-tears-will-keep-no-channel-know-no-laws-to-guide-their-streams-but/) [John Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleveland/) > [All I want to say, with the utmost emphasis at my command, is that the description of India as a military country is wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/all-i-want-to-say-with-the-utmost-emphasis-at-my-command-is-that-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Matter-of-fact descriptions make the improbable seem real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/matter-of-fact-descriptions-make-the-improbable-seem-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Discovered W. Somerset Maugham in about 5th grade. Didn't understand the plots, but loved the descriptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/discovered-w-somerset-maugham-in-about-5th-grade-didn-t-understand/) [W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/) [Browse all 1,075 Description quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Science is the description of phenomena and the formulation of their relations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Boris Sidis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/science-is-the-description-of-phenomena-and-the-formulation-of-their/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Description" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/science-is-the-description-of-phenomena-and-the-formulation-of-their/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/354/boris-sidis-27589_description_science-is-the-description-of-phenomena_1612995.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Science is the description of phenomena and the formulation of their relations.” — Boris Sidis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Boris Sidis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-sidis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Science is the description of phenomena...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/science-is-the-description-of-phenomena-and-the-formulation-of-their/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-sidis/science-is-the-description-of-phenomena-and-the-formulation-of-their/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```