Acquisition Quote by Carl Sagan
“Societies will, of course, wish to exercise prudence in deciding which technologies that is, which applications of science are to be pursued and which not. But without funding basic research, without supporting the acquisition of knowledge for its own sake, our options become dangerously limited.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Cosmos, Carl Sagan, 1980
Societies must balance careful selection of technologies with robust support for basic research, otherwise future choices narrow dangerously.
In simple terms: Choose technologies wisely but fund pure research.
Key Takeaway
Invest in knowledge for its own sake.
Themes
science policy
research funding
future planning
Mood
thoughtful
concerned
Type
policy
reflective
When to use this quote
- government budgeting
- academic grants
- private R&D
- technology roadmaps
- education programs
Key Concepts
epistemology
innovation management
risk assessment
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies protect basic research from short‑term pressures?
- What mechanisms ensure balanced technology development?
A Different Perspective
Funding constraints and political pressures often limit basic research support.
![“[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion, why do you not believe in materialistic science, which has an unparalleled record of fulfilled prophecy? Consider, for example, eclipses.” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/875/carl-sagan-160_belief_when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-a_25095.jpg)
![“No one suffers so much as he [the genius] with the people, and, therefore, for the people, with whom he lives. For, in a certain sense, it is certainly only "by suffering" that a man knows. If compassion is not itself clear, abstractly conceivable or visibly symbolic knowledge, it is, at any rate…” quote by Otto Weininger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bec/otto-weininger-11319_acquisition_no-one-suffers-so-much-as-he-the-genius_20597.jpg)
