Frogs Quote by Maggie Stiefvater
““A scientist has a frog and he says, "Jump, frog." The frog jumps ten feet. The scientist writes down, FROG JUMPS 10 FEET. Then the scientist chops of one of the frogs' legs and says, "Jump, frog." and the frog jumps five feet. The scientist writes CUT OFF ONE FOOT, FROG JUMPS 5 FEET. Then he chops off another leg and says, "Jump." and the frog jumps two feet. The scientist writes down CUT OFF TWO LEGS, FROG JUMPS TWO FEET. Then he cuts off all the frogs' legs and says, "Jump." and the frog just lies there.The scientist writes down the conclusions of the test: CUTTING OFF ALL THE FROGS' LEGS MAKES THE SUBJECT GO DEAF.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: Unknown, 2020
A scientist misinterprets correlation as causation, ignoring the true cause of the frog’s ability to jump.
In simple terms: Mistaking correlation for cause leads to false conclusions.
Key Takeaway
Question data before drawing conclusions.
Themes
science
critical thinking
methodology
Mood
skeptical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- lab experiments
- data analysis
- research reporting
- teaching scientific method
Key Concepts
causation
experimental design
bias
Questions to Reflect On
- What other hidden variables might you be ignoring?
- How can you test causality more rigorously?
A Different Perspective
Overlooks the frog’s loss of legs as the real factor.
![“I think-I need to ask an embarrassing question. Do you think I could borrow a pair of scrubs? I-uh-my pants-" "Oh!" Cried the poor nurse. "Yes. Absolutely. I'll be right back." [...] "Thanks," I mumbled. "I'll just change here. He's not looking at anything at the moment." I gestured toward Sam…” quote by Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd6/maggie-stiefvater-76_curtains_i-think-i-need-to-ask-an-embarrassing-qu_8591.jpg)
![“[Wise men] have tried to understand our state of being, by grasping at its stars, or its arts, or its economics. But, if there is an underlying oneness of all things, it does not matter where we begin, whether with stars, or laws of supply and demand, or frogs, or Napoleon Bonaparte. One measures…” quote by Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1e7/charles-fort-11887_art_wise-men-have-tried-to-understand-our-st_19788.jpg)
