Accelerate Quote by Charles Babbage
“Remember that accumulated knowledge, like accumulated capital, increases at compound interest: but it differs from the accumulation of capital in this; that the increase of knowledge produces a more rapid rate of progress, whilst the accumulation of capital leads to a lower rate of interest. Capital thus checks its own accumulation: knowledge thus accelerates its own advance. Each generation, therefore, to deserve comparison with its predecessor, is bound to add much more largely to the common stock than that which it immediately succeeds.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Reflections on the Decline of Science, 1830
Knowledge compounds faster than money, accelerating progress across generations.
In simple terms: Learning builds on itself rapidly.
Key Takeaway
Invest in learning continuously.
Themes
education
progress
compounding
generational growth
Mood
inspirational
analytical
Type
philosophical
strategic
When to use this quote
- career development
- research
- policy planning
- technology investment
Key Concepts
knowledge economics
innovation
human capital
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies harness rapid knowledge growth?
- What limits the speed of knowledge diffusion?
A Different Perspective
Knowledge growth can outpace practical application, causing gaps.
![“Science in England is not a profession: its cultivators are scarcely recognised even as a class. Our language itself contains no single term by which their occupation can be expressed. We borrow a foreign word [Savant] from another country whose high ambition it is to advance science, and whose…” quote by Charles Babbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b12/charles-babbage-8461_accord_science-in-england-is-not-a-profession-i_256777.jpg)
