Evolution Quote by Ian Hacking
“Dolomite is a whole mess of stuff, a mixture. It gets characterised as 'a stuff' because of the interest of oil geologists. It would have been a nonentity were it not for its applications.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Social Construction of What?, 1999
Dolomite is a mixed material whose importance stems from its applications, not its intrinsic identity.
In simple terms: Dolomite's value lies in its uses, not its nature.
Key Takeaway
Value things by their utility.
Themes
utility
material science
context
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- geology research
- product development
- resource management
Key Concepts
classification
industrial relevance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does purpose shape our perception of objects?
- When does a material become essential?
A Different Perspective
Utility can change over time.
![“I looked for it [heavy hydrogen, deuterium] because I thought it should exist. I didn't know it would have industrial applications or be the basic for the most powerful weapon ever known [the nuclear bomb] ... I thought maybe my discovery might have the practical value of, say, neon in neon signs.” quote by Harold Urey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/78e/harold-urey-42546_application_i-looked-for-it-heavy-hydrogen-deuterium_1237859.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
