---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think that science is complete at…"
description: "\"I don't think that science is complete at all. We don't understand everything, and one can see, within science itself, there are many inconsistencies. ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg"
---

#  I don't think that science is complete at all. We don't…

![“I don't think that science is complete at all. We don't understand everything, and one can see, within science itself, there are many inconsistencies. We just have to accept that we don't understand.” quote by Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg)

> “I don't think that science is complete at all. We don't understand everything, and one can see, within science itself, there are many inconsistencies. We just have to accept that we don't understand.”

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Science is unfinished; many gaps and contradictions remain, requiring humility and openness to new ideas.

**In simple terms:** Science is incomplete and contradictory.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty and keep questioning.

Themes

science humility inquiry

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- research
- education
- policy making
- public communication

Key Concepts

philosophy of science epistemology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we balance confidence with doubt?
- What role should uncertainty play in scientific progress?

A Different Perspective

Science may never be fully resolved, limiting definitive answers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Inconsistencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inconsistencies/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/)

## Related quotes

> [Science is the most complete presentment of facts with the least expenditure of thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mach/science-is-the-most-complete-presentment-of-facts-with-the-least/)

[Ernst Mach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mach/)

> [You don't need a science degree to understand about science. You just need to think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/you-don-t-need-a-science-degree-to-understand-about-science-you-just/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [I was a terrible science student, and for a long time, I thought I just didn't understand science. It turned out that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-harkness/i-was-a-terrible-science-student-and-for-a-long-time-i-thought-i-just/)

[Deborah Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-harkness/)

> [People must understand that science is inherently neither a potential for good nor for evil. It is a potential to be harnessed by man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-t-seaborg/people-must-understand-that-science-is-inherently-neither-a-potential/)

[Glenn T. Seaborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-t-seaborg/)

> [I guess I will never understand the science of Stassi, and for that I'm thankful she's no longer a part of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scheana-shay/i-guess-i-will-never-understand-the-science-of-stassi-and-for-that-i/)

[Scheana Shay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scheana-shay/)

> [If you want to understand science, you have to understand math. In business, if you're enumerate, you're going to be a klutz. The good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-to-understand-science-you-have-to-understand-math-in/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

> [“The conflicts between science and religion still remain in this day and age, because though most people understand what science means, they do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-conflicts-between-science-and-religion-still-remain-in-this-day/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [One of the great problems of the world today is undoubtedly this problem of not being able to talk to scientists, because we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-flanders/one-of-the-great-problems-of-the-world-today-is-undoubtedly-this/)

[Michael Flanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-flanders/)

> [To understand a science it is necessary to know its history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auguste-comte/to-understand-a-science-it-is-necessary-to-know-its-history/)

[Auguste Comte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auguste-comte/)

> [“Magic is doing something the other guy can’t do. We haven’t learned how to do it yet, so it’s magic. When we learn how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-l-chalker/magic-is-doing-something-the-other-guy-can-t-do-we-haven-t-learned/)

[Jack L. Chalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-l-chalker/)

> [You can't really be scientifically literate if you don't understand evolution. And you can't be an educated member of society if you don't understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugenie-scott/you-can-t-really-be-scientifically-literate-if-you-don-t-understand/)

[Eugenie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugenie-scott/)

> [Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/before-we-understand-science-it-is-natural-to-believe-that-god/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [I think you have to be left-brained, to a certain extent, to understand science. I can talk about it, but I can't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-think-you-have-to-be-left-brained-to-a-certain-extent-to-understand/)

[Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/)

> [“Magic is what you call something you don’t understand. This is science, dear. Nothing magic about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bertauski/magic-is-what-you-call-something-you-don-t-understand-this-is-science/)

Tony Bertauski

> [I claim that all those who think they can cherry-pick science simply don't understand how science works. That's what I claim. And if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-claim-that-all-those-who-think-they-can-cherry-pick-science-simply/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

## More by Charles H. Townes

> [“One has ideas, does experiments, meets people, seeks advice, calls old friends, runs into unexpected remarks, meets new people with new ideas, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/one-has-ideas-does-experiments-meets-people-seeks-advice-calls-old/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [Science is exploration. The fundamental nature of exploration is that we don't know what's there. We can guess and hope and aim to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-nature-of-exploration-is-that/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [I was brought up as Christian, and while my ideas have changed, I have always felt myself religiously oriented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-was-brought-up-as-christian-and-while-my-ideas-have-changed-i-have/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [I knew I wanted to be a scientist. Which kind of scientist was the question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-a-scientist-which-kind-of-scientist-was-the/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [Science has faith. We make postulates. We can't prove those postulates, but we have faith in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/science-has-faith-we-make-postulates-we-can-t-prove-those-postulates/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [There is some truth to the idea that, in the fields of science, individual contributions of great significance are possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/there-is-some-truth-to-the-idea-that-in-the-fields-of-science/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [One of the things my family taught me - I think very important in religion and science - is that you must be ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/one-of-the-things-my-family-taught-me-i-think-very-important-in/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [It was strange, in a way, because there were no ideas involved in the laser that weren't already known by somebody 25 years before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/it-was-strange-in-a-way-because-there-were-no-ideas-involved-in-the/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [I was very eager to produce an oscillator for short waves. I was doing science with microwaves, and I would get down to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-was-very-eager-to-produce-an-oscillator-for-short-waves-i-was-doing/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

> [Alfred Nobel really understood very well the necessary supra-natural character of the human enterprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/alfred-nobel-really-understood-very-well-the-necessary-supra-natural/)

[Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

[Explore all 11 Charles H. Townes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/)

## More Accept quotes

> [If we accept being talked to any kind of a way, then we are telling ourselves we are not quite worth the best. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/if-we-accept-being-talked-to-any-kind-of-a-way-then-we-are-telling/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [The fans can accept a poor performance, but they won't take it when you choose not to put in the effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/the-fans-can-accept-a-poor-performance-but-they-won-t-take-it-when/)

[Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/)

> [“See, I know what they think about me. That I’m some project. And, yeah, I’ll accept their help. But I’m gonna pay my way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-eagar/see-i-know-what-they-think-about-me-that-i-m-some-project-and-yeah-i/)

[Kirsty Eagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-eagar/)

> [If you're disabled or different from what general society deems normal, it's fine. There will always be people who won't accept you, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-simmonds/if-you-re-disabled-or-different-from-what-general-society-deems/)

[Millicent Simmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-simmonds/)

> [Things don't go on forever, and the quicker you accept that change is inevitable, the happier you're gonna be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-anastasio/things-don-t-go-on-forever-and-the-quicker-you-accept-that-change-is/)

[Trey Anastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-anastasio/)

> [It's very important to me that people accept me as a transgendered female. But it's ridiculous to a lot of people and I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-arquette/it-s-very-important-to-me-that-people-accept-me-as-a-transgendered/)

[Alexis Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-arquette/)

> [I've always taken care of myself, and I'm a non-conformist, so I don't accept the negativity that comes with birthdays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-van-dam/i-ve-always-taken-care-of-myself-and-i-m-a-non-conformist-so-i-don-t/)

[Rob Van Dam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-van-dam/)

> [Not harder than it should be, no. We're about the business, we're about the work. It's all about the work, always. We have fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/not-harder-than-it-should-be-no-we-re-about-the-business-we-re-about/)

[Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/)

> [I wish I could just accept that I'm not that good and not be shy about the fact that I'm not that professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-gainsbourg/i-wish-i-could-just-accept-that-i-m-not-that-good-and-not-be-shy/)

[Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-gainsbourg/)

> [I cannot accept being silent in the face of injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-crockett/i-cannot-accept-being-silent-in-the-face-of-injustice/)

[Jasmine Crockett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-crockett/)

> [“I hope there is less stigma and judgment against working moms and childless career women. All should be acceptable positions and society should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chan-heng-chee/i-hope-there-is-less-stigma-and-judgment-against-working-moms-and/)

Chan Heng Chee

> [“Of course I can accept you for who you are. You are someone I need to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-glasbergen/of-course-i-can-accept-you-for-who-you-are-you-are-someone-i-need-to/)

[Randy Glasbergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-glasbergen/)

> [I can't be that kind of person others want me to be.I know I can't please everybody for just being me But I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/i-can-t-be-that-kind-of-person-others-want-me-to-be-i-know-i-can-t/)

[Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/)

> [I don't care who you are,Where you from,As long as you love me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mks-vibz/i-don-t-care-who-you-are-where-you-from-as-long-as-you-love-me/)

[Mks Vibz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mks-vibz/)

Browse all 2,963 Accept quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think that science is complete at all. We don't understand everything, and one can see, within science itself, there are many inconsistencies. We just have to accept that we don't understand.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles H. Townes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-at-all-we-don-t-understand/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Accept"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-at-all-we-don-t-understand/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93b/charles-h-townes-40035_accept_i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-a_1330836.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think that science is complete at all. We don't understand everything, and one can see, within…” — Charles H. Townes",
                "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": "Charles H. Townes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-townes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think that science is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-at-all-we-don-t-understand/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-at-all-we-don-t-understand/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
