Powerful person Quote by David Bohm
““We can get some relatively clear thought in science. But even there it is not entirely clear because scientists are worried about their prestige and status, and so on. Sometimes they won't consider ideas that don't go along with their theories or with their prejudices. Nevertheless, science is aimed at seeing the fact, whether the scientist likes what he sees or not—looking at theories objectively, calmly, and without bias. To some extent, relatively coherent thought has been achieved better in science than in some other areas of life. Some results flowed out of science and technology which are quite impressive—a great power was released. But now we discover that whenever the time comes to use science we just forget the scientific method. We just say that the use of what scientists have discovered will be determined by the needs of our country, or by my need to make money, or by my need to defeat that religion or merely by my need to show what a great powerful person I am. So we see that relatively unpolluted thought has been used to develop certain things, and then we always trust to the most polluted thought to decide what to do with them. That's part of the incoherence””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Interview with David Bohm, 1970s
Science strives for objective truth, but human biases and power motives often corrupt its application.
In simple terms: Science seeks facts, but people misuse them for personal gain.
Guard against bias when applying scientific knowledge.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy making
- technology development
- public health
- environmental regulation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do personal interests shape scientific policy?
- What safeguards ensure unbiased application of science?
Science can be misused when decisions are driven by ego or profit rather than evidence.