Biologist Quote by Lancelot Hogben
“With full responsibility for my words as a professional biologist, I do not hesitate to say that all existing and genuine knowledge about the way in which the physical characteristics of human communities are related to their cultural capabilities can be written on the back of a postage stamp.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Scientific Biography of Lancelot Hogben, 1960
Human physical traits and cultural abilities can be summarized simply, like a postage‑stamp illustration.
In simple terms: Physical traits link to culture simply.
Key Takeaway
Recognize simple patterns in complex data.
Themes
anthropology
biology
culture
simplification
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
explanatory
critical
When to use this quote
- education
- public policy
- media communication
- museum exhibits
Key Concepts
genetics
environmental influence
social theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we avoid reducing diversity to a single image?
- What are the dangers of oversimplification?
A Different Perspective
Complex interactions may be over‑simplified, risking stereotypes.
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
