--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The value of using models rather than the…" description: "\"“The value of using models rather than the real thing in experimentation is twofold. First, it can reduce the cost of an experiment-it can be much chea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/eric-von-hippel-11175_end-time_the-value-of-using-models-rather-than-th_1382716.jpg" --- # The value of using models rather than the real thing in… ![“The value of using models rather than the real thing in experimentation is twofold. First, it can reduce the cost of an experiment-it can be much cheaper to crash a simulated BMW than a real one. Second, it can make experimental results clearer by making them simpler or otherwise different than…” quote by Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/eric-von-hippel-11175_end-time_the-value-of-using-models-rather-than-th_1382716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/eric-von-hippel-11175_end-time_the-value-of-using-models-rather-than-th_1382716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/eric-von-hippel-11175_end-time_the-value-of-using-models-rather-than-th_1382716.jpg) > ““The value of using models rather than the real thing in experimentation is twofold. First, it can reduce the cost of an experiment-it can be much cheaper to crash a simulated BMW than a real one. Second, it can make experimental results clearer by making them simpler or otherwise different than real life. If one is trying to test the effect of a small change on car safety, for example, it can be helpful to remove everything not related to that change from the experiment. For example, if one is testing the way a particular wheel suspension structure deforms in a crash, one does not have to know (or spend time computing) how a taillight lens will react in the crash. Also, in a real crash things happen only once and happen very fast. In a virtual crash executed by computer, on the other hand, one can repeat the”” [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using models lets researchers cut costs, isolate variables, and repeat tests, yielding clearer insights than costly real‑world experiments. **In simple terms:** Models reduce cost, simplify variables, and allow repeatable experiments. Key Takeaway Leverage simulations to test ideas efficiently. Themes engineering simulation cost reduction experimental design clarity Mood analytical practical instructive Type technical educational When to use this quote - automotive safety testing - product prototyping - software debugging - policy modeling Key Concepts systems engineering computational modeling risk analysis Questions to Reflect On - What variables are essential to retain in a model? - When does a model become too abstract? A Different Perspective Models may oversimplify complex real‑world interactions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crash Simulated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crash-simulated-4795170/) [End time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-time/) [Experimentation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimentation/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Real life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-life/) [Simulated Bmw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simulated-bmw-4795171/) [Spend time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-time/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Using Models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using-models-4795173/) [Virtual Crash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtual-crash-4795172/) ## Related quotes > [“The amateur doesn't appreciate the need for experimentation. He wants his experts to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner-2/the-amateur-doesn-t-appreciate-the-need-for-experimentation-he-wants/) [B.F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner-2/) > [There is no such thing as a failed experiment, only experiments with unexpected outcomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-failed-experiment-only-experiments-with/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [“By means of personal experimentation and observation, we can discover certain simple and universal truths. The mind moves the body, and the body follows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-means-of-personal-experimentation-and-observation-we-can-discover/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think in times of fear and hysteria in a culture, gender experimentation as it pertains to men has to go underground because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/i-think-in-times-of-fear-and-hysteria-in-a-culture-gender/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [I tend more towards what some people call literary science fiction, but what I mean by that is that it is full of interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-einhorn/i-tend-more-towards-what-some-people-call-literary-science-fiction/) [Edward Einhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-einhorn/) > [There would seem to be a limit, even for an art preoccupied with boundaries and transgressions, beyond which a work reaches its breaking point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/there-would-seem-to-be-a-limit-even-for-an-art-preoccupied-with/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [You still want to be thoughtful about what you do, no doubt, but you have to learn through trial-and-error experimentation as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-d-anthony/you-still-want-to-be-thoughtful-about-what-you-do-no-doubt-but-you/) [Scott D. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-d-anthony/) > [I believe that 20-somethings would be more likely to embrace experimentation - and provide additional value - if they felt safe to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-engelbert/i-believe-that-20-somethings-would-be-more-likely-to-embrace/) [Cathy Engelbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-engelbert/) > [Many, many people have done a lot more sexual experimentation than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/many-many-people-have-done-a-lot-more-sexual-experimentation-than-i/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [America was born of revolt, flourished in dissent, became great through experimentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-steele-commager/america-was-born-of-revolt-flourished-in-dissent-became-great-through/) [Henry Steele Commager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-steele-commager/) > [Cities need old buildings so badly it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them… for really new ideas of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/cities-need-old-buildings-so-badly-it-is-probably-impossible-for/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [As a child there was no place for adventure or experimentation. I guess that kind of freedom started in high school with punk rock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcnairy/as-a-child-there-was-no-place-for-adventure-or-experimentation-i/) [Mark McNairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcnairy/) > [“Play and experimentation loosens our grip on life and allows for more chance luck to surprise us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hyde-stevens/play-and-experimentation-loosens-our-grip-on-life-and-allows-for-more/) [Elizabeth Hyde Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hyde-stevens/) > [“There is a time and place for electromagnetic shielding and I regard it as a last resort due to the long term biological problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-is-a-time-and-place-for-electromagnetic-shielding-and-i-regard/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Trust energizes participants. We feel good when things work smoothly. We need to be safe to experiment and make mistakes. We need testing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-beck/trust-energizes-participants-we-feel-good-when-things-work-smoothly/) [Kent Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-beck/) ## More by Eric von Hippel > [“The user-centered innovation process just illustrated is in sharp contrast to the traditional model, in which products and services are developed by manufacturers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/the-user-centered-innovation-process-just-illustrated-is-in-sharp/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“1978 Jurgen Honscheid came over from West Germany for the first Hawaiian World Cup and discovered jumping, which was new to him, although Mike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/1978-jurgen-honscheid-came-over-from-west-germany-for-the-first/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“In this book I explain in detail how the emerging process of user-centric, democratized innovation works. I also explain how innovation by users provides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/in-this-book-i-explain-in-detail-how-the-emerging-process-of-user/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“structure of the social division of labor. Many firms and industries must make fundamental changes to long-held business models in order to adapt. 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Free and open source software projects are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/increase-the-ease-with-which-innovators-can-build-larger-systems-from/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“The architecture of the pizza pie illustrates how this can be done. Many aspects of the design of a pizza, such as the dough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/the-architecture-of-the-pizza-pie-illustrates-how-this-can-be-done/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“Innovation by users tends to be widely distributed rather than concentrated among just a very few very innovative users. As a result, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/innovation-by-users-tends-to-be-widely-distributed-rather-than/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“created specifically to separate the problem-solving tasks requiring access to a manufacturer's sticky solution information from those requiring access to users' sticky need information.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/created-specifically-to-separate-the-problem-solving-tasks-requiring/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“universities and the Library of Congress, with support provided by grants from the federal government (Tedd 1994). Until roughly 1978, the only such systems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/universities-and-the-library-of-congress-with-support-provided-by/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“Copyright owners can prevent others from building new works on characters (e.g. Mickey Mouse) that are already familiar to customers. The result is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/copyright-owners-can-prevent-others-from-building-new-works-on/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“In 1978 Jurgen Honscheid came over from West Germany for the first Hawaiian World Cup and discovered jumping, which was new to him, although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/in-1978-jurgen-honscheid-came-over-from-west-germany-for-the-first/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“and services-both firms and individual consumers-are increasingly able to innovate for themselves. User-centered innovation processes offer great advantages over the manufacturer-centric innovation development systems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/and-services-both-firms-and-individual-consumers-are-increasingly/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [“The trend toward democratization of innovation applies to information products such as software and also to physical products. As a quick illustration of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/the-trend-toward-democratization-of-innovation-applies-to-information/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) [Explore all 61 Eric von Hippel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) ## More End time quotes > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. 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Time to just meditate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/i-think-that-if-i-m-being-brutally-honest-i-fill-my-cup-up-by/) [Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/) > [When I am not playing or practising, I like to spend time with the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lewis/when-i-am-not-playing-or-practising-i-like-to-spend-time-with-the/) [Adrian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lewis/) > [It's very important for me to spend time with my family and my friends and disconnect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/it-s-very-important-for-me-to-spend-time-with-my-family-and-my/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [“Spend time with people who enrich your mind, nourish your heart, and illuminate your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/spend-time-with-people-who-enrich-your-mind-nourish-your-heart-and/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [There should be a period of time during each practice session when you perform. 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Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-d-lang/) [Browse all 1,363 End time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The value of using models rather than the real thing in experimentation is twofold. First, it can reduce the cost of an experiment-it can be much cheaper to crash a simulated BMW than a real one. Second, it can make experimental results clearer by making them simpler or otherwise different than real life. If one is trying to test the effect of a small change on car safety, for example, it can be helpful to remove everything not related to that change from the experiment. For example, if one is testing the way a particular wheel suspension structure deforms in a crash, one does not have to know (or spend time computing) how a taillight lens will react in the crash. Also, in a real crash things happen only once and happen very fast. 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