Applied science Quote by Edwin Land
“If you sense a deep human need, then you go back to all the basic science. If there is some missing, then you try to do more basic science and applied science until you get it. So you make the system to fulfill that need, rather than starting the other way around, where you have something and wonder what to do with it.”
About This Quote
When a fundamental human need is identified, research should start from basic science, iterating between theory and application until the need is met, rather than forcing a need onto existing technology.
In simple terms: Start with basic science to meet human needs, not the reverse.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize human needs before technology development.
Themes
human-centered design
science
innovation
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
strategic
pragmatic
When to use this quote
- product development
- public health
- education technology
Key Concepts
systems thinking
research methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- What core need drives your project?
- How can basic research inform practical solutions?
A Different Perspective
May neglect market realities or feasibility.
![“Whether or not science can be applied to that mental construct [i.e. the designed entity] is a matter of availability. If there is body of scientific knowledge that can be applied, then it would be foolish not to exploit it. However, if there is none, it does not mean that the thing cannot be…” quote by Henry Petroski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/17d/henry-petroski-10198_availability_whether-or-not-science-can-be-applied-to_341822.jpg)
![“Even a pure mathematician may find his appreciation of this geometry [applied geometry] quickened, since there is no mathematician so pure that he feels no interest at all in the physical world; but, in so far as he succumbs to this temptation, he will be abandoning his purely mathematical position.” quote by G.H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/g-h-hardy-2-30074_applications_even-a-pure-mathematician-may-find-his-a_1015722.jpg)
