--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Theories come and go, but fundamental…" description: "\"Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remains.\" — Mary Leakey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg" --- # Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remains. ![“Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remains.” quote by Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg) > “Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remains.” [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fundamental data endures while theories evolve, highlighting the lasting value of solid evidence. **In simple terms:** Data outlasts changing ideas. Key Takeaway Prioritize reliable data over fleeting theories. Themes science knowledge truth Mood analytical thoughtful Type scientific educational When to use this quote - research projects - policy making - academic work Key Concepts empiricism epistemology data integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure data remains relevant? - When should old data be revisited? A Different Perspective Data can be misinterpreted without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comes and goes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comes-and-goes/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Theories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theories/) ## Related quotes > [Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remain the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-data-always-remain-the-same/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [“Conspiracy theories come up whenever people feel like the universe is too random.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/conspiracy-theories-come-up-whenever-people-feel-like-the-universe-is-2/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [“Conspiracy theories come up whenever people feel like the universe is too random. Absurd. If it’s all an enemy plot, at least there’s someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/conspiracy-theories-come-up-whenever-people-feel-like-the-universe-is/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) > [There's no such thing as 'facts of life'. Only standing theories that haven't been disproved as of yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-travaglia/there-s-no-such-thing-as-facts-of-life-only-standing-theories-that/) [Simon Travaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-travaglia/) > [“If one of the five theories describes our univers, who lives in the other four worlds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/if-one-of-the-five-theories-describes-our-univers-who-lives-in-the/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [Theories are like patches on a coat, one day they just wear off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/theories-are-like-patches-on-a-coat-one-day-they-just-wear-off/) [Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/) > [The idea that Americans favor politicians who either remind them of themselves or can imagine what their selves are like because they too have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-idea-that-americans-favor-politicians-who-either-remind-them-of/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [I think it's normal that for a part of your life you have a lot of questions, and you're interested in all possible theories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludovico-einaudi/i-think-it-s-normal-that-for-a-part-of-your-life-you-have-a-lot-of/) [Ludovico Einaudi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludovico-einaudi/) > [I know my theories and findings are hard for you to accept because they are so original and extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-chiu/i-know-my-theories-and-findings-are-hard-for-you-to-accept-because/) [Alex Chiu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-chiu/) > [In other words, unlike some people with new theories, we will go out, we'll go into a school and we get products and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sternberg/in-other-words-unlike-some-people-with-new-theories-we-will-go-out-we/) [Robert Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sternberg/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Facts per se can neither prove nor refute anything. Everything is decided by the interpretation and explanation of the facts, by the ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/facts-per-se-can-neither-prove-nor-refute-anything-everything-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Theories are more common than achievements in the history of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-livingstone/theories-are-more-common-than-achievements-in-the-history-of-education/) [Richard Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-livingstone/) > [“Spiritual activity, education, civilization, culture, the idea are all vague, indefinite concepts, under the banner of which it is quite convenient to use words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/spiritual-activity-education-civilization-culture-the-idea-are-all/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“Theory shows a way to a goal, but it is not the goal. Theory offers security, but there are no secure theories. Theories shed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-blankinship/theory-shows-a-way-to-a-goal-but-it-is-not-the-goal-theory-offers/) [D.A. Blankinship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-blankinship/) ## More by Mary Leakey > [I go once a year to the Serengeti to see the wildebeest migrations because that means a lot to me, but I avoid Olduvai…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-go-once-a-year-to-the-serengeti-to-see-the-wildebeest-migrations/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [The first money I ever earned was for drawing stone tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/the-first-money-i-ever-earned-was-for-drawing-stone-tools/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [I never felt interpretation was my job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-never-felt-interpretation-was-my-job/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [Basically, I have been compelled by curiosity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/basically-i-have-been-compelled-by-curiosity/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [You only find what you are looking for, really, if the truth be known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/you-only-find-what-you-are-looking-for-really-if-the-truth-be-known/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remain the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-data-always-remain-the-same/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [Now this really is something to put on the mantelpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/now-this-really-is-something-to-put-on-the-mantelpiece/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [I had never passed a single school exam, and clearly never would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-had-never-passed-a-single-school-exam-and-clearly-never-would/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [I got too old to live in the bush. You really need to be youngish and healthy, so it seemed stupid to keep going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-got-too-old-to-live-in-the-bush-you-really-need-to-be-youngish-and/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [I dug things up. I was curious. I liked to draw what I found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-dug-things-up-i-was-curious-i-liked-to-draw-what-i-found/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [She stops, pauses, turns to the left to glance at some possible threat or irregularity, and then continues to the north. This motion, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/she-stops-pauses-turns-to-the-left-to-glance-at-some-possible-threat/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [No amounts of stone and bone could yield the kinds of information that the paintings gave so freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/no-amounts-of-stone-and-bone-could-yield-the-kinds-of-information/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [There were details like clothing, hair styles and the fragile objects that hardly ever survive for the archaeologist-musical instruments, bows and arrows, and body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/there-were-details-like-clothing-hair-styles-and-the-fragile-objects/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [I'd rather be in a tent than in a house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-d-rather-be-in-a-tent-than-in-a-house/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) > [I quite liked having a baby - I think I won't put it more strongly than that. But I had no intention of allowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/i-quite-liked-having-a-baby-i-think-i-won-t-put-it-more-strongly-than/) [Mary Leakey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) [Explore all 16 Mary Leakey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/) ## More Comes and goes quotes > [A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/a-community-is-the-mental-and-spiritual-condition-of-knowing-that-the/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Nominations come and go. It is not going to happen to you every year, and I am very well aware of that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ann-womack/nominations-come-and-go-it-is-not-going-to-happen-to-you-every-year/) [Lee Ann Womack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ann-womack/) > [I think it would be great to be a cat! You come and go as you please. People always feed and pet you. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcpherson/i-think-it-would-be-great-to-be-a-cat-you-come-and-go-as-you-please/) Patricia McPherson > [The U.S. always needs an enemy. It comes and goes. Today it is Islam. According to this plan or ideology of the born-again Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-jumblatt/the-u-s-always-needs-an-enemy-it-comes-and-goes-today-it-is-islam/) [Walid Jumblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-jumblatt/) > [Fashion is transient, trends come and go. I believe in style, not fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/fashion-is-transient-trends-come-and-go-i-believe-in-style-not-fashion/) [Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/) > [Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hamilton-gibson/silently-like-thoughts-that-come-and-go-the-snowflakes-fall-each-one/) William Hamilton Gibson > [Does Heaven ever speak? The four seasons come and go, and all creatures thrive and grow. Does Heaven ever speak!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/does-heaven-ever-speak-the-four-seasons-come-and-go-and-all-creatures/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Money comes and goes. I'm thankful I have money. I'm trying to save up more. I would like more money. But it's not happiness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dat-phan/money-comes-and-goes-i-m-thankful-i-have-money-i-m-trying-to-save-up/) [Dat Phan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dat-phan/) > [Tides are like politics. They come and go with a great deal of fuss and noise, but inevitably they leave the beach just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/tides-are-like-politics-they-come-and-go-with-a-great-deal-of-fuss/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/but-the-great-thing-to-remember-is-that-though-our-feelings-come-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Oh, thank you love With all my heart and soul I thank you love Each day that comes and goes I thank you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/oh-thank-you-love-with-all-my-heart-and-soul-i-thank-you-love-each/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) > [I don't give up. I'm a plodder. People come and go, but I stay the course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-costner/i-don-t-give-up-i-m-a-plodder-people-come-and-go-but-i-stay-the-course/) [Kevin Costner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-costner/) > [I love what I think, and I'm never tempted to believe it. Thoughts are like the wind or the leaves on the trees or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/i-love-what-i-think-and-i-m-never-tempted-to-believe-it-thoughts-are/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [Because too many times in life there's just one person that I met, just one thing that I heard, one movie that I saw,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-singletary/because-too-many-times-in-life-there-s-just-one-person-that-i-met/) [Mike Singletary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-singletary/) > [An ex-girlfriend once got upset when I told her that music is the most important thing in my life. It's more important than anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/an-ex-girlfriend-once-got-upset-when-i-told-her-that-music-is-the/) [Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/) [Browse all 388 Comes and goes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comes-and-goes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remains.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Leakey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-data-always-remains/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Comes and goes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-data-always-remains/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/221/mary-leakey-31703_comes-and-goes_theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-dat_1114473.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Theories come and go, but fundamental data always remains.” — Mary Leakey", "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": "Mary Leakey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-leakey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Theories come and go, but fundamental...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-data-always-remains/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-leakey/theories-come-and-go-but-fundamental-data-always-remains/#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 } } ] } ```