Discovery Quote by John A. McDougall
“Scientific discovery is not valuable unless it has commercial value.”
About This Quote
Scientific breakthroughs gain significance only when they can be translated into marketable products or services.
In simple terms: Science matters when it creates economic value.
Key Takeaway
Commercial relevance defines scientific worth.
Themes
science
economics
innovation
value
Mood
critical
pragmatic
Type
statement
economic
When to use this quote
- Startup funding pitches
- University research grants
- Policy debates on R&D
Key Concepts
technology transfer
market‑driven research
Practical Applications
- Align research goals with potential market needs
Questions to Reflect On
- Should all research be judged by market impact?
- How can society balance curiosity and commercial goals?
A Different Perspective
Pure curiosity‑driven research can yield unforeseen breakthroughs beyond immediate profit.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
![“That has been another interesting discovery: that basically a city [Lagos] could recover from a really deep, deep, deep pit.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/61e/rem-koolhaas-5371_cities_that-has-been-another-interesting-discov_15915.jpg)
