--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In science, the best precept is to alter…" description: "\"In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our ideas as fast as science moves ahead.\" — Claude Bernard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png" --- # In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our… ![“In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our ideas as fast as science moves ahead.” quote by Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png) > “In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our ideas as fast as science moves ahead.” [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science advances by rapidly sharing and updating ideas, keeping pace with new discoveries. **In simple terms:** Science moves fast through idea exchange. Key Takeaway Share and update ideas quickly. Themes science collaboration progress Mood analytical optimistic Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - laboratory work - academic conferences Key Concepts knowledge diffusion research methodology Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure idea quality? - What slows scientific communication? A Different Perspective Fast exchange can spread misinformation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Moving ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-ahead/) [Precept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precept/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Example is the best precept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/example-is-the-best-precept/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [It is sad that while science moves ahead in exciting new areas of research, fine-tuning our knowledge of how life originated and evolved, creationists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/it-is-sad-that-while-science-moves-ahead-in-exciting-new-areas-of/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [Science moves fastest when there's plenty of debate and controversy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/science-moves-fastest-when-there-s-plenty-of-debate-and-controversy/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [Science moves, but slowly, slowly, creeping on from point to point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/science-moves-but-slowly-slowly-creeping-on-from-point-to-point/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Science moves with the spirit of an adventure characterized both by youthful arrogance and by the belief that the truth, once found, would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-watson/science-moves-with-the-spirit-of-an-adventure-characterized-both-by/) [James D. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-watson/) > [“While most science moves in a sort of curve, being constantly corrected by new evidence, this science flies off into space in a straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/while-most-science-moves-in-a-sort-of-curve-being-constantly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Science moves, but slowly, slowly, creeping on from point to point. ... Yet I doubt not through the ages one increasing purpose runs, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/science-moves-but-slowly-slowly-creeping-on-from-point-to-point-yet-i/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [“Science’s best-known victories were those of Copernicanism and Darwinism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-b-ferngren/science-s-best-known-victories-were-those-of-copernicanism-and/) [Gary B. Ferngren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-b-ferngren/) > [Science is the best tool ever devised for understanding how the world works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shermer/science-is-the-best-tool-ever-devised-for-understanding-how-the-world/) [Michael Shermer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shermer/) > [If science were nothing more than the best means of teaching the love of the simple fact, the indispensable need of verification, of careful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/if-science-were-nothing-more-than-the-best-means-of-teaching-the-love/) [John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/) > [Science is, in the best and strictest sense, glorious entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/science-is-in-the-best-and-strictest-sense-glorious-entertainment/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [We think that it is the best scientists working in the frontier fields of science who are best able to judge what is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-fukui/we-think-that-it-is-the-best-scientists-working-in-the-frontier/) [Kenichi Fukui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-fukui/) > [Science is the best thing humans beings have ever come up with. And if it isn't, science will fix it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/science-is-the-best-thing-humans-beings-have-ever-come-up-with-and-if/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-randi/science-is-best-defined-as-a-careful-disciplined-logical-search-for/) [James Randi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-randi/) > [“And as you are about to see, it not only produces the best science, but also some of the very best science writing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/and-as-you-are-about-to-see-it-not-only-produces-the-best-science-but/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More by Claude Bernard > [In every enterprise ... the mind is always reasoning, and, even when we seem to act without a motive, an instinctive logic still directs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/in-every-enterprise-the-mind-is-always-reasoning-and-even-when-we/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Descriptive anatomy is to physiology what geography is to history, and just as it is not enough to know the typography of a country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/descriptive-anatomy-is-to-physiology-what-geography-is-to-history-and/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Mediocre men often have the most acquired knowledge. It is in the darker. It is in the darker regions of science that great men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/mediocre-men-often-have-the-most-acquired-knowledge-it-is-in-the/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Ardent desire for knowledge, in fact, is the one motive attracting and supporting investigators in their efforts; and just this knowledge, really grasped and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/ardent-desire-for-knowledge-in-fact-is-the-one-motive-attracting-and/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [If I had to define life in a single phrase, I should clearly express my thought of throwing into relief one characteristic which, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/if-i-had-to-define-life-in-a-single-phrase-i-should-clearly-express/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [The investigator should have a robust faith - and yet not believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/the-investigator-should-have-a-robust-faith-and-yet-not-believe/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Even mistaken hypotheses and theories are of use in leading to discoveries. This remark is true in all the sciences. The alchemists founded chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/even-mistaken-hypotheses-and-theories-are-of-use-in-leading-to/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Tout est poison, rien n'est poison, tout est une question de dose. Everything is poisonous, nothing is poisonous, it is all a matter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/tout-est-poison-rien-n-est-poison-tout-est-une-question-de-dose/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [A fact in itself is nothing. It is valuable only for the idea attached to it, or for the proof which it furnishes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/a-fact-in-itself-is-nothing-it-is-valuable-only-for-the-idea-attached/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/it-is-what-we-know-already-that-often-prevents-us-from-learning/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [We must remain, in a word, in an intellectual disposition which seems paradoxical, but which, in my opinion, represents the true mind of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/we-must-remain-in-a-word-in-an-intellectual-disposition-which-seems/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [The fact that knowledge endlessly recedes as the investigator is about to grasp it is what constitutes at the same time his torment and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/the-fact-that-knowledge-endlessly-recedes-as-the-investigator-is/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [But while I accept specialization in the practice, I reject it utterly in the theory of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/but-while-i-accept-specialization-in-the-practice-i-reject-it-utterly/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [Men who have excessive faith in their theories ... make poor observations, because they choose among the results of their experiments only what suits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/men-who-have-excessive-faith-in-their-theories-make-poor-observations/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) > [First causes are outside the realm of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/first-causes-are-outside-the-realm-of-science/) [Claude Bernard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) [Explore all 91 Claude Bernard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/) ## More Ideas quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It revealed a cruelty that really made one wonder if the universe was such a good idea after all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/it-revealed-a-cruelty-that-really-made-one-wonder-if-the-universe-was/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/) [Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) [Browse all 24,908 Ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our ideas as fast as science moves ahead.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claude Bernard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter-and-exchange-our-ideas-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ideas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter-and-exchange-our-ideas-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a2/claude-bernard-7455_ideas_in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter_1094313.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In science, the best precept is to alter and exchange our ideas as fast as science moves ahead.” — Claude Bernard", "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": "Claude Bernard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-bernard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In science, the best precept is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter-and-exchange-our-ideas-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-bernard/in-science-the-best-precept-is-to-alter-and-exchange-our-ideas-as/#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 } } ] } ```