--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tell me it's never been done. Because the…" description: "\"Tell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-the only things we really know-are the two postulates of relativity, the three l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg" --- # Tell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws… ![“Tell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-the only things we really know-are the two postulates of relativity, the three laws of Newton, the four laws of thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equation-no, scratch that, the only things we really know are Maxwell's equations…” quote by Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg) > “Tell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-the only things we really know-are the two postulates of relativity, the three laws of Newton, the four laws of thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equation-no, scratch that, the only things we really know are Maxwell's equations, the three laws of Newton, the two postulates of relativity, and the periodic table. That's all we know that's true. All the rest are man's laws” [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote lists the fundamental scientific laws we can trust, contrasting them with human-made rules that lack the same certainty. **In simple terms:** Only a few natural laws are certain; everything else is human construct. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of human knowledge. Themes science certainty human limits knowledge law Mood curious thoughtful analytical Type philosophical informative When to use this quote - education - public speaking - debate - policy making - science communication Key Concepts physics philosophy epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What human-made rules do you rely on daily? - How do you distinguish between scientific fact and societal norm? A Different Perspective Human laws can be useful despite lacking absolute certainty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newton/) [Periodic table](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periodic-table/) [Relativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relativity/) [Thermodynamics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thermodynamics/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Newton came up with Newton's laws of motion and gravity. They worked. They were working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/newton-came-up-with-newton-s-laws-of-motion-and-gravity-they-worked/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Newton's laws specifically state that, while the gravity of a planet gets weaker and weaker the farthest from it you travel, there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/newton-s-laws-specifically-state-that-while-the-gravity-of-a-planet/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“His laws changed all of physics and astronomy. His laws made it possible to calculate the mass of the sun and planets. The way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lewin/his-laws-changed-all-of-physics-and-astronomy-his-laws-made-it/) [Walter Lewin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lewin/) > [“For Newton and the scientists of his time, God had set up the universe and set it in motion. Newton's laws simply governed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-harris-walker/for-newton-and-the-scientists-of-his-time-god-had-set-up-the-universe/) Evan Harris Walker > [“Newton’s laws aren’t fundamental, they are emergent; that is, they are what happens when quantum matter aggregates into macroscopic fluids and objects. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-gazzaniga/newton-s-laws-aren-t-fundamental-they-are-emergent-that-is-they-are/) [Michael S. Gazzaniga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-gazzaniga/) > [So great a contribution to physics was Two New Sciences that scholars have long maintained that the book anticipated Isaac Newton's laws of motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/so-great-a-contribution-to-physics-was-two-new-sciences-that-scholars/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [“The law of conservation of energy, reborn as the law of conservation of mass/energy, has established itself as one of the few unshakable theoretical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/the-law-of-conservation-of-energy-reborn-as-the-law-of-conservation/) [Hans Christian Von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [“Condon, quick on his feet, replied that the accusation was untrue. He was not a revolutionary in physics. He raised his right hand: “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/condon-quick-on-his-feet-replied-that-the-accusation-was-untrue-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In the beginning (if there was such a thing), God created Newton's laws of motion together with the necessary masses and forces. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/in-the-beginning-if-there-was-such-a-thing-god-created-newton-s-laws/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“I’m just not, okay? Can we please drop it? I’m done working on the experiment for the day. We’re supposed to be helping Grayson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-oram/i-m-just-not-okay-can-we-please-drop-it-i-m-done-working-on-the/) [Kelly Oram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-oram/) > [Working out another system to replace Newton's laws took a long time because phenomena at the atomic level were quite strange. One had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/working-out-another-system-to-replace-newton-s-laws-took-a-long-time/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [We went to the moon using just Newton's laws of motion and gravity. Newtonian dynamics we call it. So then we find out, "Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/we-went-to-the-moon-using-just-newton-s-laws-of-motion-and-gravity/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“For the purposes of science, information had to mean something special. Three centuries earlier, the new discipline of physics could not proceed until Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/for-the-purposes-of-science-information-had-to-mean-something-special/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Newton's three laws of motion are less a product of novel experiments than of the attempt to reinterpret well-known observations in terms of motions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-kuhn/newton-s-three-laws-of-motion-are-less-a-product-of-novel-experiments/) [Thomas S. Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-kuhn/) > [“From a long view of the history of mankind-seen from, say, ten thousand years from now-there can be little doubt that the most significant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/from-a-long-view-of-the-history-of-mankind-seen-from-say-ten-thousand/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) ## More by Dean Kamen > [I started realizing that I wasn't so dumb; rather, most people simply didn't know the answers to the questions that I was interested in-or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/i-started-realizing-that-i-wasn-t-so-dumb-rather-most-people-simply/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Inspiration comes from the heart. The letter ‘I’ is the heart of F”I”RST… (F Inspiration R S T).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/inspiration-comes-from-the-heart-the-letter-i-is-the-heart-of-f-i-rst/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [“In a world of material goods and material exchange trade. I have got a hunk of gold and you have a watch. If we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/in-a-world-of-material-goods-and-material-exchange-trade-i-have-got-a/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [I consider high-speed data transmission an invention that became a major innovation. It changed the way we all communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/i-consider-high-speed-data-transmission-an-invention-that-became-a/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [In some cases, inventions prohibit innovation because we're so caught up in playing with the technology, we forget about the fact that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/in-some-cases-inventions-prohibit-innovation-because-we-re-so-caught/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [The city needs a car like a fish needs a bicycle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/the-city-needs-a-car-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [I'm a human entropy producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/i-m-a-human-entropy-producer/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Americans thinking that America will continue to lead the world in innovation and quality of life without some quick and serious educational improvements are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/americans-thinking-that-america-will-continue-to-lead-the-world-in/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [ \[Chuck's wife\] was standing behind me at the time and she said, 'Chuck hasn't fed himself in 19 years. So, you've got a choice:… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/chuck-s-wife-was-standing-behind-me-at-the-time-and-she-said-chuck/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [We can't live any more in a world which is based on stuff and not ideas. If you want to live with the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/we-can-t-live-any-more-in-a-world-which-is-based-on-stuff-and-not/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [The word entrepreneur is associated with success and adventure. From my life, the only thing I can tell you that's consistently associated with entrepreneurship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/the-word-entrepreneur-is-associated-with-success-and-adventure-from/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Clearly, there are many places where diesel is king or gas-turbine is king, or IC engines will win, but there are many places in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/clearly-there-are-many-places-where-diesel-is-king-or-gas-turbine-is/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Innovation needs to be nurtured throughout an organization. Management is doing things right, whereas leadership is doing the right things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/innovation-needs-to-be-nurtured-throughout-an-organization-management/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [Everybody has to be able to participate in a future that they want to live for. That's what technology can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/everybody-has-to-be-able-to-participate-in-a-future-that-they-want-to/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) > [If history is any indication, all truths will eventually turn out to be false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/if-history-is-any-indication-all-truths-will-eventually-turn-out-to/) [Dean Kamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) [Explore all 57 Dean Kamen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Tell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-the only things we really know-are the two postulates of relativity, the three laws of Newton, the four laws of thermodynamics, and Maxwell's equation-no, scratch that, the only things we really know are Maxwell's equations, the three laws of Newton, the two postulates of relativity, and the periodic table. That's all we know that's true. All the rest are man's laws", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dean Kamen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the-only-real-laws-in-this-world/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the-only-real-laws-in-this-world/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38a/dean-kamen-11904_done_tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the_1782932.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Tell me it's never been done. Because the only real laws in this world-the only things we really know-are…” — Dean Kamen", "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": "Dean Kamen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-kamen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Tell me it's never been done....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the-only-real-laws-in-this-world/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-kamen/tell-me-it-s-never-been-done-because-the-only-real-laws-in-this-world/#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 } } ] } ```