--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The National Academy of Sciences would be…" description: "\"The National Academy of Sciences would be unable to give a unanimous decision if asked whether the sun would rise tomorrow.\" — Paul R. Ehrlich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_academy_the-national-academy-of-sciences-would-b_2819624.jpg" --- # The National Academy of Sciences would be unable to give a… ![“The National Academy of Sciences would be unable to give a unanimous decision if asked whether the sun would rise tomorrow.” quote by Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_academy_the-national-academy-of-sciences-would-b_2819624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_academy_the-national-academy-of-sciences-would-b_2819624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/paul-r-ehrlich-13046_academy_the-national-academy-of-sciences-would-b_2819624.jpg) > “The National Academy of Sciences would be unable to give a unanimous decision if asked whether the sun would rise tomorrow.” [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scientific consensus can be impossible on trivial predictions, highlighting limits of expertise. **In simple terms:** Even experts can’t agree on simple facts. Key Takeaway Recognize uncertainty in scientific claims. Themes science uncertainty expertise Mood analytical skeptical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - policy making - public communication - education - risk assessment Key Concepts prediction limits consensus challenges epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How should we handle scientific disagreement? - When is consensus reliable? A Different Perspective Overreliance on authority can mislead. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academy/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) ## Related quotes > [In a surprising unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court ruled the police cannot search what is on your phone without a warrant. 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There was a slight and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/the-sun-began-to-set-behind-bethlehem-and-the-beams-were-breaking/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [I don't know, I'm not from this neighborhood."-to Jake LaMotta after a night of drinking when LaMotta asked "is that the sun or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rocky-graziano/i-don-t-know-i-m-not-from-this-neighborhood-to-jake-lamotta-after-a/) [Rocky Graziano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rocky-graziano/) > [I am an outsider looking in, absolutely. You're not going to see me at the Academy Awards 'Vanity Fair' party any time soon. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-am-an-outsider-looking-in-absolutely-you-re-not-going-to-see-me-at/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [I don't really look forward to movie stardom or doing a $200-million movie or winning an Academy Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-don-t-really-look-forward-to-movie-stardom-or-doing-a-200-million/) [Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/) > [“Fuck Briarcrest Academy, and fuck you all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/fuck-briarcrest-academy-and-fuck-you-all/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [I think that no matter whether you're Quentin Tarantino or any other kind of a rebel, or whatever, everyone who makes movies still wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-osborne/i-think-that-no-matter-whether-you-re-quentin-tarantino-or-any-other/) [Robert Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-osborne/) > [Few years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/few-years-ago-i-said-something-about-the-academy-being-very-white/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) > [I remember when I first won the Academy Award and how much I loved it. 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Our students progress within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerthiga-manokumar/step-up-academy-offers-a-conducive-encouraging-comfortable/) Kerthiga Manokumar > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I realized early on that the academy and the literary world alike - and I don't think there really is a distinction between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/i-realized-early-on-that-the-academy-and-the-literary-world-alike-and/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) ## More by Paul R. Ehrlich > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [With taxes, if they aren't working right, we can change them with a stroke of the pen. It's basically a market-type mechanism. People make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/with-taxes-if-they-aren-t-working-right-we-can-change-them-with-a/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [There's all of this stuff where we have so much debate over nonsense; it could be cured if we had a better educational system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/there-s-all-of-this-stuff-where-we-have-so-much-debate-over-nonsense/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [ In ten years \[i.e., 1980\] all important animal life in the sea will be extinct. Large areas of coastline will have to be evacuated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/in-ten-years-i-e-1980-all-important-animal-life-in-the-sea-will-be/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [So, regarding the time frame, I'm only too willing to admit that my crystal ball, like everybody else's, is cracked. If I could predict…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/so-regarding-the-time-frame-i-m-only-too-willing-to-admit-that-my/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [If we were redesigning around people instead of around automobiles, which I think the market is more or less going to do, although too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/if-we-were-redesigning-around-people-instead-of-around-automobiles/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Sometimes I think the Congress feels that if you only decided tomorrow to switch to wind power that in two years we'd be getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/sometimes-i-think-the-congress-feels-that-if-you-only-decided/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Solving the population problem is not going to solve the problems of racism, of sexism, of religious intolerance, of war, of gross economic inequality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/solving-the-population-problem-is-not-going-to-solve-the-problems-of/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Your children should have it impressed upon them that their adult life-style will bear very little resemblance to yours and that they should now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/your-children-should-have-it-impressed-upon-them-that-their-adult/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [The mother of the year should be a sterilized woman with two adopted children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/the-mother-of-the-year-should-be-a-sterilized-woman-with-two-adopted/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [It turns out the population issue is an easier thing to deal with than the consumption issue. Some obvious extremes in consumption we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/it-turns-out-the-population-issue-is-an-easier-thing-to-deal-with/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Overall, The Population Bomb was probably too optimistic. I was writing about climate change - Anne and I actually wrote the book. We discussed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/overall-the-population-bomb-was-probably-too-optimistic-i-was-writing/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [I don't think scientists can dictate from above what we should do, because it's not a matter of scientific decision. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/i-don-t-think-scientists-can-dictate-from-above-what-we-should-do/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Organisms are starting to move in response to climate change all over the place. Bees are disappearing and we don't have many of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/organisms-are-starting-to-move-in-response-to-climate-change-all-over/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Woman should have the choice whether to have an abortion or not, but I like what Bill Clinton said: It ought to be safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/woman-should-have-the-choice-whether-to-have-an-abortion-or-not-but-i/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) [Explore all 52 Paul R. Ehrlich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) ## More Academy quotes > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I realized early on that the academy and the literary world alike - and I don't think there really is a distinction between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/i-realized-early-on-that-the-academy-and-the-literary-world-alike-and/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [“Step Up Academy offers a conducive, encouraging, comfortable environment for children to step up their learning and achieve success. Our students progress within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerthiga-manokumar/step-up-academy-offers-a-conducive-encouraging-comfortable/) Kerthiga Manokumar > [I remember when I first won the Academy Award and how much I loved it. I just wish there was an award around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-woodward/i-remember-when-i-first-won-the-academy-award-and-how-much-i-loved-it/) [Joanne Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-woodward/) > [Few years ago, I said something about the Academy being very white male, which is the reality, and I was slashed to pieces by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/few-years-ago-i-said-something-about-the-academy-being-very-white/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) > [I think that no matter whether you're Quentin Tarantino or any other kind of a rebel, or whatever, everyone who makes movies still wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-osborne/i-think-that-no-matter-whether-you-re-quentin-tarantino-or-any-other/) [Robert Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-osborne/) > [“Fuck Briarcrest Academy, and fuck you all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilsa-madden-mills/fuck-briarcrest-academy-and-fuck-you-all/) [Ilsa Madden-Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilsa-madden-mills/) > [I don't really look forward to movie stardom or doing a $200-million movie or winning an Academy Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-don-t-really-look-forward-to-movie-stardom-or-doing-a-200-million/) [Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/) > [I am an outsider looking in, absolutely. You're not going to see me at the Academy Awards 'Vanity Fair' party any time soon. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-am-an-outsider-looking-in-absolutely-you-re-not-going-to-see-me-at/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [In all our academies we attempt far too much. ... In earlier times lectures were delivered upon chemistry and botany as branches of medicine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/in-all-our-academies-we-attempt-far-too-much-in-earlier-times/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The 'Police Academy' stuff was all hyper-slapsticky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/the-police-academy-stuff-was-all-hyper-slapsticky/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [The Academies of Art are nothing but great painting factories - those with talent are fed in at one end, and they come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edvard-munch/the-academies-of-art-are-nothing-but-great-painting-factories-those/) [Edvard Munch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edvard-munch/) > [Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/furnished-as-all-europe-now-is-with-academies-of-science-with-nice/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Browse all 557 Academy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The National Academy of Sciences would be unable to give a unanimous decision if asked whether the sun would rise tomorrow.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul R. 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