Depends Quote by Charles Babbage
“Unless there exist peculiar institutions for the support of such inquirers, or unless the Government directly interfere, the contriver of a thaumatrope may derive profit from his ingenuity, whilst he who unravels the laws of light and vision, on which multitudes of phenomena depend, shall descend unrewarded to the tomb.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Sketch of the Analytical Engine, 1837
Without institutional support, innovators of new technologies may profit, while fundamental scientific discoverers often go unrewarded.
In simple terms: Society rewards inventions more than basic science.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for funding basic research.
Themes
innovation
science
economics
recognition
policy
Mood
analytical
inspirational
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- grant writing
- policy advocacy
- academic careers
- technology startups
Key Concepts
economics
history of technology
philosophy of science
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies better reward fundamental research?
- What policies encourage both invention and discovery?
A Different Perspective
Balancing profit motives with pure research is politically challenging.
![“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)
