--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In science, one learns the most by…" description: "\"In science, one learns the most by studying what seems to be the least.\" — Marvin Minsky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg" --- # In science, one learns the most by studying what seems to… ![“In science, one learns the most by studying what seems to be the least.” quote by Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg) > “In science, one learns the most by studying what seems to be the least.” [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Studying seemingly minor topics often yields the greatest insights. **In simple terms:** Small studies can teach big lessons. Key Takeaway Explore overlooked subjects. Themes learning curiosity humility research Mood inquisitive inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - academic research - personal learning - innovation - problem solving Key Concepts epistemology scientific method Questions to Reflect On - What seemingly trivial area could you study deeper? - How can you value small details? A Different Perspective Minor topics may seem irrelevant. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Learns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learns/) [Learns Studying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learns-studying-954079/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Science Learns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-learns-3541445/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Study](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/study/) [Studying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studying/) ## Related quotes > [The more science learns, the more I'm convinced that God is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-more-science-learns-the-more-i-m-convinced-that-god-is-real/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Musical theater, I think, is something one learns both from studying what went before and then actually doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/musical-theater-i-think-is-something-one-learns-both-from-studying/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [“No policeman had ever arrested anyone for over-reading; but ignorance prosecutes those who under-read. 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I started studying classical piano at age four as a student of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-raymund/i-was-always-involved-in-the-arts-from-a-young-age-i-started-studying/) [Monica Raymund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-raymund/) > [By studying the masters and not their pupils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/by-studying-the-masters-and-not-their-pupils/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [“A Learning Mind In Motion Stays In Motion”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hauenstein/a-learning-mind-in-motion-stays-in-motion/) [James Hauenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hauenstein/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. 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I haven't stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-always-tell-asian-actors-especially-filipinos-wanting-to-break-into/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [One should never forget that by actually perfecting one piece one gains and learns more than by starting or half-finishing a dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/one-should-never-forget-that-by-actually-perfecting-one-piece-one/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [The man that sets out to carry a cat by it's tail learns something that will always be useful and which will never grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-man-that-sets-out-to-carry-a-cat-by-it-s-tail-learns-something/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Marvin Minsky > [Theorems often tell us complex truths about the simple things, but only rarely tell us simple truths about the complex ones. To believe otherwise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/theorems-often-tell-us-complex-truths-about-the-simple-things-but/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [We wanted to solve robot problems and needed some vision, action, reasoning, planning, and so forth. 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The trick is that there is no trick. The power of intelligence stems from our vast diversity, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/what-magical-trick-makes-us-intelligent-the-trick-is-that-there-is-no/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [Everything, including that which happens in our brains, depends on these and only on these: A set of fixed, deterministic laws. A purely random…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/everything-including-that-which-happens-in-our-brains-depends-on/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [I believed in realism, as summarized by John McCarthy's comment to the effect that if we worked really hard, we'd have an intelligent system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/i-believed-in-realism-as-summarized-by-john-mccarthy-s-comment-to-the/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [By the way, it was his simulations that helped out in Jurassic Park - without them, there would have been only a few dinosaurs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/by-the-way-it-was-his-simulations-that-helped-out-in-jurassic-park/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) > [If you just have a single problem to solve, then fine, go ahead and use a neural network. But if you want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/if-you-just-have-a-single-problem-to-solve-then-fine-go-ahead-and-use/) [Marvin Minsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) [Explore all 87 Marvin Minsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In science, one learns the most by studying what seems to be the least.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marvin Minsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studying-what-seems-to-be-the-least/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studying-what-seems-to-be-the-least/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/marvin-minsky-7760_education_in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studyi_2851598.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In science, one learns the most by studying what seems to be the least.” — Marvin Minsky", "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": "Marvin Minsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-minsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In science, one learns the most...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studying-what-seems-to-be-the-least/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-minsky/in-science-one-learns-the-most-by-studying-what-seems-to-be-the-least/#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 } } ] } ```