--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scientists were the embodiment of this…" description: "\"“Scientists were the embodiment of this new-fangled sobriety—impartial, businesslike, colorless, and reliable. Or so people assumed. For in actual prac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/david-van-reybrouck-59495_science_scientists-were-the-embodiment-of-this-n_992764.jpg" --- # Scientists were the embodiment of this new-fangled… ![“Scientists were the embodiment of this new-fangled sobriety—impartial, businesslike, colorless, and reliable. Or so people assumed. For in actual practice, it was their supposed impartiality that allowed them to gain so much influence. One” quote by David Van Reybrouck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/david-van-reybrouck-59495_science_scientists-were-the-embodiment-of-this-n_992764.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/david-van-reybrouck-59495_science_scientists-were-the-embodiment-of-this-n_992764.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35d/david-van-reybrouck-59495_science_scientists-were-the-embodiment-of-this-n_992764.jpg) > ““Scientists were the embodiment of this new-fangled sobriety—impartial, businesslike, colorless, and reliable. Or so people assumed. For in actual practice, it was their supposed impartiality that allowed them to gain so much influence. One”” [David Van Reybrouck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-van-reybrouck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scientists claim objectivity, yet their perceived neutrality grants them power, masking underlying biases. **In simple terms:** Science’s claimed neutrality can hide influence. Key Takeaway Question the true neutrality of expertise. Themes science power bias Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical When to use this quote - policy making - public trust - media reporting Key Concepts objectivity influence institutional authority Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure true impartiality? - What safeguards protect against hidden agendas? A Different Perspective Bias may still affect outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Impartiality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impartiality/) [Impartiality Allowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impartiality-allowed-2042633/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists/) [Scientists Embodiment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists-embodiment-2042632/) [Supposed Impartiality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supposed-impartiality-2042631/) ## Related quotes > [“A good judge is not one who is impartial, but one who has prejudice for good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/a-good-judge-is-not-one-who-is-impartial-but-one-who-has-prejudice/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [Impartiality is not neutrality. It is partiality for justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/impartiality-is-not-neutrality-it-is-partiality-for-justice/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [Justice is impartiality. Only strangers are impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/justice-is-impartiality-only-strangers-are-impartial/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Bias and impartiality is in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/bias-and-impartiality-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The hardest task for the historian… is to consider the evidence without prejudice. We all have prior agendas and tend to find what we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-evans/the-hardest-task-for-the-historian-is-to-consider-the-evidence/) [Christopher Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-evans/) > [“Nowadays people seem to imagine that impartiality means readiness to treat lies and truth the same, to hold white as bad as black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orde-charles-wingate/nowadays-people-seem-to-imagine-that-impartiality-means-readiness-to/) [Orde Charles Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orde-charles-wingate/) > [Giese was an unemotional man, but then in the study of Solaris emotion is a hindrance to the explorer. Imagination and premature theorizing are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giese-was-an-unemotional-man-but-then-in-the-study-of-solaris-emotion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My father and I were always on the most distant terms when I was a boy--a sort of armed neutrality, so to speak. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-father-and-i-were-always-on-the-most-distant-terms-when-i-was-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [In reasoning upon moral subjects, we have great occasion for candor, in order to compare circumstances, and weigh arguments with impartiality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathanael-emmons/in-reasoning-upon-moral-subjects-we-have-great-occasion-for-candor-in/) [Nathanael Emmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathanael-emmons/) > [My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/my-guiding-principle-will-be-justice-and-complete-impartiality-and-i/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [Protestations of impartiality I shall make none. Theyare always useless and are besides perfect nonsense, when used bya news-monger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/protestations-of-impartiality-i-shall-make-none-theyare-always/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Our impartiality is kept for abstract merit and demerit, which none of us ever saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/our-impartiality-is-kept-for-abstract-merit-and-demerit-which-none-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The job of a judge is to figure out what the law says, not what he wants it to say. There is a difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-job-of-a-judge-is-to-figure-out-what-the-law-says-not-what-he/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [I know some people believe impartiality is key, and it's necessary in some situations, but in others - if something is so fundamentally wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-dooley/i-know-some-people-believe-impartiality-is-key-and-it-s-necessary-in/) [Stacey Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-dooley/) > [I would die in a ditch for the impartiality of the BBC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kuenssberg/i-would-die-in-a-ditch-for-the-impartiality-of-the-bbc/) [Laura Kuenssberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kuenssberg/) ## More by David Van Reybrouck > [“But it was definitely a hecatomb, a slaughter on a staggering scale that was not intentional, but that could have been recognized much earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-van-reybrouck/but-it-was-definitely-a-hecatomb-a-slaughter-on-a-staggering-scale/) [David Van Reybrouck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-van-reybrouck/) > [“The fact that they did not ask for political power, however, did not mean that they were happy as ever. The native’s political apathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-van-reybrouck/the-fact-that-they-did-not-ask-for-political-power-however-did-not/) [David Van Reybrouck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-van-reybrouck/) > [“Mission schools were factories for tribal prejudice. Children who were not allowed to leave their villages were suddenly told that the Bakongo lived on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-van-reybrouck/mission-schools-were-factories-for-tribal-prejudice-children-who-were/) [David Van Reybrouck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-van-reybrouck/) [Explore all 4 David Van Reybrouck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-van-reybrouck/) ## More Impartiality quotes > [“A good judge is not one who is impartial, but one who has prejudice for good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/a-good-judge-is-not-one-who-is-impartial-but-one-who-has-prejudice/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [I know some people believe impartiality is key, and it's necessary in some situations, but in others - if something is so fundamentally wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-dooley/i-know-some-people-believe-impartiality-is-key-and-it-s-necessary-in/) [Stacey Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-dooley/) > [The job of a judge is to figure out what the law says, not what he wants it to say. There is a difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-job-of-a-judge-is-to-figure-out-what-the-law-says-not-what-he/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [Our impartiality is kept for abstract merit and demerit, which none of us ever saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/our-impartiality-is-kept-for-abstract-merit-and-demerit-which-none-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Protestations of impartiality I shall make none. Theyare always useless and are besides perfect nonsense, when used bya news-monger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/protestations-of-impartiality-i-shall-make-none-theyare-always/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [My guiding principle will be justice and complete impartiality, and I am sure that with your support and co-operation, I can look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/my-guiding-principle-will-be-justice-and-complete-impartiality-and-i/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [In reasoning upon moral subjects, we have great occasion for candor, in order to compare circumstances, and weigh arguments with impartiality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathanael-emmons/in-reasoning-upon-moral-subjects-we-have-great-occasion-for-candor-in/) [Nathanael Emmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathanael-emmons/) > [My father and I were always on the most distant terms when I was a boy--a sort of armed neutrality, so to speak. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/my-father-and-i-were-always-on-the-most-distant-terms-when-i-was-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Giese was an unemotional man, but then in the study of Solaris emotion is a hindrance to the explorer. Imagination and premature theorizing are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giese-was-an-unemotional-man-but-then-in-the-study-of-solaris-emotion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nowadays people seem to imagine that impartiality means readiness to treat lies and truth the same, to hold white as bad as black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orde-charles-wingate/nowadays-people-seem-to-imagine-that-impartiality-means-readiness-to/) [Orde Charles Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orde-charles-wingate/) > [“The hardest task for the historian… is to consider the evidence without prejudice. We all have prior agendas and tend to find what we’re…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-evans/the-hardest-task-for-the-historian-is-to-consider-the-evidence/) [Christopher Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-evans/) > [Bias and impartiality is in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/bias-and-impartiality-is-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Justice is impartiality. Only strangers are impartial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/justice-is-impartiality-only-strangers-are-impartial/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Impartiality is not neutrality. It is partiality for justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/impartiality-is-not-neutrality-it-is-partiality-for-justice/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [I would die in a ditch for the impartiality of the BBC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-kuenssberg/i-would-die-in-a-ditch-for-the-impartiality-of-the-bbc/) [Laura Kuenssberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-kuenssberg/) [Browse all 72 Impartiality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impartiality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Scientists were the embodiment of this new-fangled sobriety—impartial, businesslike, colorless, and reliable. Or so people assumed. For in actual practice, it was their supposed impartiality that allowed them to gain so much influence. 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