--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...it is not the way of science to sit…" description: "\"“...it is not the way of science to sit idly back and hope that someone will come up with a \"better\" answer to our problems. In the absence of a better..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg" --- # ...it is not the way of science to sit idly back and hope… ![“...it is not the way of science to sit idly back and hope that someone will come up with a "better" answer to our problems. In the absence of a better answer, we have to face up to the implications of the best answer we've got.” quote by John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg) > ““...it is not the way of science to sit idly back and hope that someone will come up with a "better" answer to our problems. In the absence of a better answer, we have to face up to the implications of the best answer we've got.”” [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science must confront current best solutions rather than wait for ideal ones, acknowledging their limits and acting responsibly. **In simple terms:** Face reality of best answer now. Key Takeaway Act on best known solution. Themes responsibility science decisionmaking Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - research funding - technology deployment - public health Key Concepts epistemology pragmatism Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance perfection with practicality? - When is it acceptable to settle for the best available? A Different Perspective Ideal solutions may be unattainable, leading to compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answer Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answer-problems-884993/) [Better Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-answer-1214430/) [Implications](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implications/) [Implications Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implications-best-1759742/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Sit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-sit-1759741/) ## Related quotes > [“That’s not a good enough answer.” “I know that better than anyone. But it is the answer regardless of whether or not you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-meyer/that-s-not-a-good-enough-answer-i-know-that-better-than-anyone-but-it/) [Scott Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-meyer/) > [When someone says, That's a good question. You can be sure it's a lot better than the answer you're going to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nateman/when-someone-says-that-s-a-good-question-you-can-be-sure-it-s-a-lot/) [Nateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nateman/) > [Sometimes nature give better answer then your silence……!!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixit-tandel/sometimes-nature-give-better-answer-then-your-silence/) [Dixit Tandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixit-tandel/) > [Don't spend your precious time asking "Why isn't the world a better place?" It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/don-t-spend-your-precious-time-asking-why-isn-t-the-world-a-better-2/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [The best way to get a better answer is to start asking a better question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/the-best-way-to-get-a-better-answer-is-to-start-asking-a-better/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [“Rhyme and reason answer all problems”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/rhyme-and-reason-answer-all-problems/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) > [There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word-- Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/there-comrades-is-the-answer-to-all-our-problems-it-is-summed-up-in-a-2/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The Bible - Can answer any problems in your life that you're dealing with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-bible-can-answer-any-problems-in-your-life-that-you-re-dealing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To the question of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-cordare/to-the-question-of-your-life-you-are-the-answer-and-to-the-problems/) [Joe Cordare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-cordare/) > [“Answer to all problems - Hug your mom!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smriti-sharma/answer-to-all-problems-hug-your-mom/) [Smriti Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smriti-sharma/) > [“The answer to most problems is more often than not outside of the right-wrong binary that we tend to cling to when we’re angry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/the-answer-to-most-problems-is-more-often-than-not-outside-of-the/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [“With my sort of book there's no resolution, because there's no solution. The problems aren't answered in the end because there is no answer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-bradbury/with-my-sort-of-book-there-s-no-resolution-because-there-s-no/) [Malcolm Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-bradbury/) > [Most problems have either many answers or no answer. Only a few problems have one answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-berkeley/most-problems-have-either-many-answers-or-no-answer-only-a-few/) [Edmund Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-berkeley/) > [Science is and should be seen as "completely neutral" on the issue of the theistic or atheistic implications of scientific results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/science-is-and-should-be-seen-as-completely-neutral-on-the-issue-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [I soon realized that a student of English literature who does not know the Bible does not understand a good deal of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/i-soon-realized-that-a-student-of-english-literature-who-does-not/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) ## More by John Gribbin > [In the world of the very small, where particle and wave aspects of reality are equally significant, things do not behave in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/in-the-world-of-the-very-small-where-particle-and-wave-aspects-of/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“Sir Arthur Eddington summed up the situation brilliantly in his book The Nature of the Physical World, published in 1929. "No familiar conceptions can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/sir-arthur-eddington-summed-up-the-situation-brilliantly-in-his-book/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [Nothing is real unless it is observed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/nothing-is-real-unless-it-is-observed/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. Einstein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/people-like-us-who-believe-in-physics-know-that-the-distinction-2/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“Une with diffraction, just as if we let a thousand”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/une-with-diffraction-just-as-if-we-let-a-thousand/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“...the best things in science are both beautiful and simple, a fact that all too many teacher conceal from their students, by accident or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/the-best-things-in-science-are-both-beautiful-and-simple-a-fact-that/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“From this", says Schrödinger, "I learned many things, but not religion." His favourite question was, "Sir, do you really believe that?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/from-this-says-schr-dinger-i-learned-many-things-but-not-religion-his/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“It isn't just that Bohr's atom with its electron "orbits" is a false picture; all pictures are false, and there is no physical analogy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/it-isn-t-just-that-bohr-s-atom-with-its-electron-orbits-is-a-false/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“...there is no underlying reality to the world. "Reality," in the everyday sense, is not a good way to think about the behavior of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/there-is-no-underlying-reality-to-the-world-reality-in-the-everyday/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“Every problem in quantum physics had to be first “solved” using classical physics, and then be reworked by the judicious insertion of quantum numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/every-problem-in-quantum-physics-had-to-be-first-solved-using/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“The natural effect of processes going on in the Universe is to move from a state of order to a state of disorder, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/the-natural-effect-of-processes-going-on-in-the-universe-is-to-move/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“Heisenberg's uncertainty relation measures the amount by which the complementary descriptions of the electron, or other fundamental entities, overlap. Position is very much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/heisenberg-s-uncertainty-relation-measures-the-amount-by-which-the/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“...true story of quantum mechanics, a truth far stranger than any fiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/true-story-of-quantum-mechanics-a-truth-far-stranger-than-any-fiction/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) > [“spacetime is flat, that about 5 per cent of the mass of the Universe is in the form of baryons (including bright stars and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/spacetime-is-flat-that-about-5-per-cent-of-the-mass-of-the-universe/) [John Gribbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) [Explore all 15 John Gribbin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/) ## More Implications quotes > [I soon realized that a student of English literature who does not know the Bible does not understand a good deal of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/i-soon-realized-that-a-student-of-english-literature-who-does-not/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [The full implications of feminism will evolve over time, as we organize, experiment, think, analyze, and revise our ideas and strategies in light of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bunch/the-full-implications-of-feminism-will-evolve-over-time-as-we/) [Charlotte Bunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bunch/) > [Science is and should be seen as "completely neutral" on the issue of the theistic or atheistic implications of scientific results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/science-is-and-should-be-seen-as-completely-neutral-on-the-issue-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [One can hardly appreciate how academia has perverted its highest tasks and "ideals" without pondering long and hard the implications of Jacques Barzun's House…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/one-can-hardly-appreciate-how-academia-has-perverted-its-highest/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [Once I'd worked out that I couldn't possibly expect people to enjoy a monstrous, 3000-page book, I realised I could in fact create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/once-i-d-worked-out-that-i-couldn-t-possibly-expect-people-to-enjoy-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [Among the most compelling truths in some of the early photographs is their implication of silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-adams/among-the-most-compelling-truths-in-some-of-the-early-photographs-is/) [Robert Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-adams/) > [It is unnecessary to understand electromagnetic theory before wiring a lamp or to study physics in order to repair a pump. We count on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-newman/it-is-unnecessary-to-understand-electromagnetic-theory-before-wiring/) [James R Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-newman/) > [I'm, like, the most terrible person to go to a party with in the world, because I just can't enjoy it. I'm just thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/i-m-like-the-most-terrible-person-to-go-to-a-party-with-in-the-world/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [Public discourse has been polluted now for decades by corporate-funded disinformation - not just with climate change but with a host of health, environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-mann/public-discourse-has-been-polluted-now-for-decades-by-corporate/) [Michael E. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-mann/) > [Social is a better way to interact with digital world. It is better than search. Implications for... everything. Total change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuri-milner/social-is-a-better-way-to-interact-with-digital-world-it-is-better/) [Yuri Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuri-milner/) > [I have very real concerns about the civil liberties implications of ultimately requiring every resident to submit themselves for compulsory fingerprinting or some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hewitt/i-have-very-real-concerns-about-the-civil-liberties-implications-of/) [Patricia Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hewitt/) > [The implications of likability are long-lasting and serious. Women adjust their behavior to be likable and as a result have less power in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/the-implications-of-likability-are-long-lasting-and-serious-women/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [The truly awesome intellectuals in our history have not merely made discoveries; they have woven variegated, but firm, tapestries of comprehensive coverage. The tapestries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-truly-awesome-intellectuals-in-our-history-have-not-merely-made/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-coontz/almost-all-scholarly-research-carries-practical-and-political/) [Stephanie Coontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-coontz/) [Browse all 363 Implications quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/implications/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...it is not the way of science to sit idly back and hope that someone will come up with a \"better\" answer to our problems. In the absence of a better answer, we have to face up to the implications of the best answer we've got.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Gribbin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly-back-and-hope-that-someone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Implications" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly-back-and-hope-that-someone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/john-gribbin-32603_science_it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly_958746.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...it is not the way of science to sit idly back and hope that someone will come up with a \"better\" answer…” — John Gribbin", "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 Gribbin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gribbin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...it is not the way of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly-back-and-hope-that-someone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gribbin/it-is-not-the-way-of-science-to-sit-idly-back-and-hope-that-someone/#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 } } ] } ```