---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is characteristic of science that the…"
description: "\"It is characteristic of science that the full explanations are often seized in their essence by the percipient scientist long in advance of any possibl..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png"
---

#  It is characteristic of science that the full explanations…

![“It is characteristic of science that the full explanations are often seized in their essence by the percipient scientist long in advance of any possible proof.” quote by John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png)

> “It is characteristic of science that the full explanations are often seized in their essence by the percipient scientist long in advance of any possible proof.”

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Scientists often grasp the core of a theory before formal proof, guiding research direction.

**In simple terms:** Scientists sense truth before proving it.

Key Takeaway

Trust intuition but seek evidence.

Themes

science intuition discovery

Mood

curious skeptical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- research
- innovation
- education
- policy making

Key Concepts

theory formation epistemology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance intuition and proof?
- When have you trusted a hunch?

A Different Perspective

Intuition can mislead without verification.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Characteristic Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristic-science-1630210/) [Characteristics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristics/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explanation/) [Explanations Seized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explanations-seized-1630209/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Percipient Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percipient-scientist-1630208/) [Proof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proof/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Explanations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-explanations-1630211/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/)

## Related quotes

> [There are three kinds of explanation in science: explanations which throw a light upon, or give a hint at a matter; explanations which do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/there-are-three-kinds-of-explanation-in-science-explanations-which/)

[Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-wilhelm-friedrich-schlegel/)

> [Acceptance without proof is the fundamental characteristic of religion. Rejection without proof is the fundamental characteristic of science. In other words, religion has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/acceptance-without-proof-is-the-fundamental-characteristic-of/)

[Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/)

> [The most obvious characteristic of science is its application: the fact that, as a consequence of science, one has a power to do things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/the-most-obvious-characteristic-of-science-is-its-application-the/)

[Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/)

> [The spontaneous tendency to invoke a Final Cause in explanation of every difficulty is characteristic of metaphysical philosophy. It arises from a general tendency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-lewes/the-spontaneous-tendency-to-invoke-a-final-cause-in-explanation-of/)

[George Henry Lewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-lewes/)

> [I do not want to presuppose anything as known. I see in my explanation in section 1 the definition of the concepts point, straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/i-do-not-want-to-presuppose-anything-as-known-i-see-in-my-explanation/)

[David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/)

> [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/)

[Amy Trask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-trask/)

> [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/)

[Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/)

> [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/)

[Mary Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-livermore/)

> [A second characteristic of the process which for me is the good life, is that it involves an increasingly tendency to live fully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/a-second-characteristic-of-the-process-which-for-me-is-the-good-life/)

[Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/)

> [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/)

[Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/)

> [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/)

[Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/)

> [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

## More by John Desmond Bernal

> [Naturalism aimed at giving the primitive wishes full play but failed because these wishes are too primitive, too infantile, too inconsistent with themselves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/naturalism-aimed-at-giving-the-primitive-wishes-full-play-but-failed/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [A part of sexuality may go to research, and a much larger part must lead to aesthetic creation. The art of the future will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/a-part-of-sexuality-may-go-to-research-and-a-much-larger-part-must/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [But if capitalism had built up science as a productive force, the very character of the new mode of production was serving to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/but-if-capitalism-had-built-up-science-as-a-productive-force-the-very/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [We shall be forced to attempt planned and directed research employing hundreds of workers for many years, and this cannot be done without risking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/we-shall-be-forced-to-attempt-planned-and-directed-research-employing/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [We are still too close to the birth of the universe to be certain about its death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/we-are-still-too-close-to-the-birth-of-the-universe-to-be-certain/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [If science were communism, was it also not possible that communism could itself become a science?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/if-science-were-communism-was-it-also-not-possible-that-communism/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [ The problem \[of specialization\] is essentially that of communications to an army in action. After a rapid advance communications become disorganized, and there is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/the-problem-of-specialization-is-essentially-that-of-communications/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [Life is a partial, continuous, progressive, multiform and conditionally interactive self-realization of the potentialities of atomic electron states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/life-is-a-partial-continuous-progressive-multiform-and-conditionally/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [The region of the mysterious is rapidly shrinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/the-region-of-the-mysterious-is-rapidly-shrinking/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [Published papers may omit important steps and the memory of men of science, even the greatest, is sadly fallible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/published-papers-may-omit-important-steps-and-the-memory-of-men-of/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [ \[In eighteenth-century Britain\] engineers for the most began as simple workmen, skilful and ambitious but usually illiterate and self-taught. They were either millwrights like… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/in-eighteenth-century-britain-engineers-for-the-most-began-as-simple/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [Religious suffering is at once the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/religious-suffering-is-at-once-the-expression-of-real-suffering-and-a/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [Men will not be content to manufacture life: they will want to improve on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/men-will-not-be-content-to-manufacture-life-they-will-want-to-improve/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [The present aristocracy of western culture, at the moment when it most clearly dominates the world, is being imitated rapidly and successfully in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/the-present-aristocracy-of-western-culture-at-the-moment-when-it-most/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

> [As experimentation becomes more complex, the need for the co-operation in it of technical elements from outside becomes greater and the modern laboratory tends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/as-experimentation-becomes-more-complex-the-need-for-the-co-operation/)

[John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

[Explore all 45 John Desmond Bernal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/)

## More Characteristics quotes

> [One of the key characteristics of the comic book medium is that it is not brought to life by just one voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/one-of-the-key-characteristics-of-the-comic-book-medium-is-that-it-is/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

> [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dee/those-who-know-new-york-city-primarily-through-tourism-or-mass/)

[Jonathan Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dee/)

> [Sometimes, Ms. Lane," he said, "one must break with one's past to embrace one's future. It is never an easy thing to do. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/sometimes-ms-lane-he-said-one-must-break-with-one-s-past-to-embrace/)

[Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/)

> [Just because someone thinks they remember something in detail, with confidence and with emotion, does not mean that it actually happened, .. False memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-loftus/just-because-someone-thinks-they-remember-something-in-detail-with/)

[Elizabeth Loftus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-loftus/)

> [Consequently, citizen legislators, rotating back to their communities after a short period of public service—considered an indispensable and routine characteristic and design of representative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/consequently-citizen-legislators-rotating-back-to-their-communities/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A second characteristic of the process which for me is the good life, is that it involves an increasingly tendency to live fully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/a-second-characteristic-of-the-process-which-for-me-is-the-good-life/)

[Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/)

> [Philanthropy is one of the most hopeful characteristics of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-livermore/philanthropy-is-one-of-the-most-hopeful-characteristics-of-our-time/)

[Mary Livermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-livermore/)

> [God has given this way of life to Israel: to abstain from everything which is contrary to nature, that is to say, anger, fits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poemen/god-has-given-this-way-of-life-to-israel-to-abstain-from-everything/)

[Poemen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poemen/)

> [The most significant moment will be when we stop referring to the hiring of qualified women (and racial, ethnic and religious minorities) as significant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-trask/the-most-significant-moment-will-be-when-we-stop-referring-to-the/)

[Amy Trask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-trask/)

> [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-mass-of-men-lead-lives-of-quiet-desperation-what-is-called/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I think it would be just to say the most essential characteristic of mind is memory, using this word in its broadest sense to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-think-it-would-be-just-to-say-the-most-essential-characteristic-of/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [ \[Joseph\] Stalin closes the exposition of these \[Leon Trotsky\] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of \[Vladimir\] Lenin's conception… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-these-leon-trotsky-ideas-with/)

[Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/)

> [It is true that 'I seem to see a table' does not entail 'I see a table'; but 'I seem to feel a pain'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galen-strawson/it-is-true-that-i-seem-to-see-a-table-does-not-entail-i-see-a-table/)

[Galen Strawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galen-strawson/)

[Browse all 1,325 Characteristics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characteristics/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It is characteristic of science that the full explanations are often seized in their essence by the percipient scientist long in advance of any possible proof.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Desmond Bernal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the-full-explanations-are-often/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Characteristics"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the-full-explanations-are-often/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8e/john-desmond-bernal-14871_characteristics_it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the_1753843.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It is characteristic of science that the full explanations are often seized in their essence by the…” — John Desmond Bernal",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Desmond Bernal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It is characteristic of science that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the-full-explanations-are-often/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/it-is-characteristic-of-science-that-the-full-explanations-are-often/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```