--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I think that our laboratories…" description: "\"Sometimes I think that our laboratories are but little earthworks which men build about themselves, and whose puny tops too often conceal from view the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/gilbert-newton-lewis-66906_able_sometimes-i-think-that-our-laboratories_1895101.jpg" --- # Sometimes I think that our laboratories are but little… ![“Sometimes I think that our laboratories are but little earthworks which men build about themselves, and whose puny tops too often conceal from view the Olympian heights; that we who work in these laboratories are but skilled artisans compared with the man who is able to observe and to draw…” quote by Gilbert Newton Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/gilbert-newton-lewis-66906_able_sometimes-i-think-that-our-laboratories_1895101.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/gilbert-newton-lewis-66906_able_sometimes-i-think-that-our-laboratories_1895101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a64/gilbert-newton-lewis-66906_able_sometimes-i-think-that-our-laboratories_1895101.jpg) > “Sometimes I think that our laboratories are but little earthworks which men build about themselves, and whose puny tops too often conceal from view the Olympian heights; that we who work in these laboratories are but skilled artisans compared with the man who is able to observe and to draw accurate deductions from the world about him.” [Gilbert Newton Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-newton-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Laboratories are modest structures that hide the vast, lofty truths of nature; true insight comes from observing the world directly. **In simple terms:** Labs are small, but the world’s truths are huge. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge beyond the lab. Themes science humility observation knowledge Mood reflective inquisitive Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - research planning - field studies - educational curricula Key Concepts Scientific method philosophy of science Questions to Reflect On - What can labs do to connect with real‑world phenomena? - How does humility aid scientific discovery? A Different Perspective Laboratory work can be isolating, missing broader context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Accurate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accurate/) [Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build/) [Compared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared/) [Conceal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceal/) [Draw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draw/) [Earthworks Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earthworks-men-2763160/) [Heights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heights/) [Him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/him/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Laboratories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laboratories/) [Laboratories Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laboratories-little-2763157/) [Laboratories Skilled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laboratories-skilled-2763156/) [Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Observe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observe/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Olympian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympian/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Skilled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skilled/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/themselves/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Laboratories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-laboratories-2763159/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Tops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tops/) [View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Whose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whose/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Laboratories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-laboratories-2763158/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The rules and principles of case law have never been treated as final truths but as working hypotheses, continually retested in those great laboratories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-n-cardozo/the-rules-and-principles-of-case-law-have-never-been-treated-as-final/) [Benjamin N. 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