--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science is exploration. The fundamental…" description: "\"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 out certain thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg" --- # Science is exploration. The fundamental nature of… ![“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 out certain things, but we have to expect surprises.” quote by Charles H. Townes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg) > “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 out certain things, but we have to expect surprises.” [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. Exploration thrives on uncertainty; expecting the unknown fuels discovery and innovation. **In simple terms:** Uncertainty drives discovery. Key Takeaway Embrace unknown in research. Themes science exploration uncertainty Mood inspirational curious Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - research projects - technological development - education curricula Key Concepts epistemology creative inquiry Questions to Reflect On - How do you prepare for unforeseen outcomes? - What role does curiosity play in scientific progress? A Different Perspective Unexpected results can derail plans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-things/) [Expect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expect/) [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Exploration Fundamental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration-fundamental-2232647/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Fundamental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental/) [Fundamental Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental-nature-2232649/) [Guess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-exploration-2232648/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-exploration-2232646/) [Surprises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprises/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > ['Faces of Love' is asking about what the fundamental nature of love is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bae-suzy/faces-of-love-is-asking-about-what-the-fundamental-nature-of-love-is/) [Bae Suzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bae-suzy/) > [Science is the exploration of the experience of nature without psychedelics. And I propose, therefore, to expand that enterprise and say that we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/science-is-the-exploration-of-the-experience-of-nature-without/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration will be a building that will connect the excitement of science to the surrounding streets, river and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-pelli/the-connecticut-center-for-science-and-exploration-will-be-a-building/) [Cesar Pelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-pelli/) > [“Philosophy studies the fundamental nature of existence, of man, and of man’s relationship to existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/philosophy-studies-the-fundamental-nature-of-existence-of-man-and-of/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“It’s a remarkable fact that the people who have gone the very deepest into the mind—the sages and saints of every religious tradition—all say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/it-s-a-remarkable-fact-that-the-people-who-have-gone-the-very-deepest/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [No phenomenon can be isolated, but has repercussions through every aspect of our lives. We are learning that we are a fundamental part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/no-phenomenon-can-be-isolated-but-has-repercussions-through-every/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [Is that which was deemed to be of so fundamental a nature as to be written into the Constitution to endure for all times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/is-that-which-was-deemed-to-be-of-so-fundamental-a-nature-as-to-be/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [How it seemed like you could see everything, but certain things were blocked out, hidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/how-it-seemed-like-you-could-see-everything-but-certain-things-were/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I think it's better to not know certain things. It gives the world an extra bit of mystery, which is important to us as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-it-s-better-to-not-know-certain-things-it-gives-the-world-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She wondered how to un-know certain things, certain specific things that she knew but did not wish to know”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wondered-how-to-un-know-certain-things-certain-specific-things/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [When it comes to sex there are certain things that should always be left unknown, and with my luck, they probably will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/when-it-comes-to-sex-there-are-certain-things-that-should-always-be/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [When you're younger - duh - you don't really have the tools to deal with certain things in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-ian/when-you-re-younger-duh-you-don-t-really-have-the-tools-to-deal-with/) [Scott Ian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-ian/) > [There's certain things I try to avoid, as an actress, just to keep my world from being as narrow as it could be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/famke-janssen/there-s-certain-things-i-try-to-avoid-as-an-actress-just-to-keep-my/) [Famke Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/famke-janssen/) > [My belief is, you know, certain things have to be explained that's never been explained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/my-belief-is-you-know-certain-things-have-to-be-explained-that-s/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [There are certain things that make restaurants work and a certain kind of DNA that people who excel in restaurants need. But it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-certain-things-that-make-restaurants-work-and-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [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.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/i-don-t-think-that-science-is-complete-at-all-we-don-t-understand/) [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 Aim quotes > [If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/if-you-aim-at-nothing-you-will-hit-it-every-time/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A good aim surveys the present state of experience of pupils, and forming a tentative plan of treatment, keeps the plan constantly in view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/a-good-aim-surveys-the-present-state-of-experience-of-pupils-and/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The Christian man must aim at that complete obedience to God in which life finds its highest happiness, its greatest good, its perfect consummation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barclay/the-christian-man-must-aim-at-that-complete-obedience-to-god-in-which/) [William Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barclay/) > [ He \[an earnest young reporter\] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-share-the-view-of-many/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [In Bosnia, little children shot in the head by a guy who thinks it's okay to aim his gun at a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-amanpour/in-bosnia-little-children-shot-in-the-head-by-a-guy-who-thinks-it-s/) [Christiane Amanpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-amanpour/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [My main aim has always been to do good quality films with roles that have some substance. With Power and Beauty there were loads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-henstridge/my-main-aim-has-always-been-to-do-good-quality-films-with-roles-that/) [Natasha Henstridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-henstridge/) > [ I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback \[in "The Invisible Woman"\]. Ralph \[Fiennes\] was very open to my input,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-watching-rushes-and-playback-in/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [My aim is to be counted among the top players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babar-azam/my-aim-is-to-be-counted-among-the-top-players/) [Babar Azam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babar-azam/) > [The single aim of my life is that every child is: free to be a child, free to grow and develop, free to eat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/the-single-aim-of-my-life-is-that-every-child-is-free-to-be-a-child/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) > [The aim of good prose words is to mean what they say. The aim of good poetical words is to mean what they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-aim-of-good-prose-words-is-to-mean-what-they-say-the-aim-of-good/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Prescribing hard work for the soft, or easy work for the hardy, is generally nonsense. What is always needed in any aim is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/prescribing-hard-work-for-the-soft-or-easy-work-for-the-hardy-is/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/to-be-normal-is-the-ultimate-aim-of-the-unsuccessful/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 3,047 Aim quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aim/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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 out certain things, but we have to expect surprises.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles H. Townes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-nature-of-exploration-is-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aim" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-nature-of-exploration-is-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ae/charles-h-townes-40035_aim_science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-n_217805.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Science is exploration. The fundamental nature of exploration is that we don't know what's there. We can…” — 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": "Science is exploration. The fundamental nature...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-nature-of-exploration-is-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-townes/science-is-exploration-the-fundamental-nature-of-exploration-is-that/#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 } } ] } ```