---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Scientific knowledge is, by its nature…"
description: "\"Scientific knowledge is, by its nature, provisional. This is due to the fact that as time goes on, with the invention of better instruments, more data ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg"
---

#  Scientific knowledge is, by its nature, provisional. This…

![“Scientific knowledge is, by its nature, provisional. This is due to the fact that as time goes on, with the invention of better instruments, more data and better data hone our understanding further. Social, cultural, economic, and political context are relevant to our understanding of how science…” quote by Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg)

> “Scientific knowledge is, by its nature, provisional. This is due to the fact that as time goes on, with the invention of better instruments, more data and better data hone our understanding further. Social, cultural, economic, and political context are relevant to our understanding of how science works.”

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Science knowledge changes as tools and data improve, shaped by context.

**In simple terms:** Science evolves with better tools and context.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty in knowledge.

Themes

science epistemology progress context

Mood

analytical cautious

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

- research
- policy making
- education
- technology development

Key Concepts

falsifiability paradigm shifts

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you handle changing scientific consensus?
- What role should context play in evaluating science?

A Different Perspective

Provisional nature can hinder decisive action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-nature-349753/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Provisional Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/provisional-fact-4841629/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientific knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientific-knowledge/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Understanding Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-science-300460/)

## Related quotes

> [Knowledge of Nature is an account at bank, where each dividend is added to the principal and the interest is ever compounded; and hence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grove-karl-gilbert/knowledge-of-nature-is-an-account-at-bank-where-each-dividend-is/)

[Grove Karl Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grove-karl-gilbert/)

> [Understanding science and pushing the boundaries of science is what makes me immensely satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/understanding-science-and-pushing-the-boundaries-of-science-is-what/)

[Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/)

> [“Science has its place in man’s search for understanding, but science and the imagination have tended to bifurcate in the modern world; only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/science-has-its-place-in-man-s-search-for-understanding-but-science/)

[Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/)

> [Everyone who's rational should have an interest in science. The future of our planet depends on our understanding of science... It's something I value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-gyimah/everyone-who-s-rational-should-have-an-interest-in-science-the-future/)

[Sam Gyimah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-gyimah/)

> [One must not assume that an understanding of science is present in those who borrow the language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-pasteur/one-must-not-assume-that-an-understanding-of-science-is-present-in/)

[Louis Pasteur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-pasteur/)

> [When I started understanding how science works, it occurred to me that there just is no evidence that there is a God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bova/when-i-started-understanding-how-science-works-it-occurred-to-me-that/)

[Ben Bova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bova/)

> [The discovery of superfluidity opened up a new understanding in the science world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/the-discovery-of-superfluidity-opened-up-a-new-understanding-in-the/)

[David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/)

> [Understanding is, after all, what science is all about — and science is a great deal more than mindless computation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-penrose/understanding-is-after-all-what-science-is-all-about-and-science-is-a/)

[Roger Penrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-penrose/)

> [ Through it \[Science\] we believe that man will be saved from misery and degradation, not merely acquiring new material powers, but learning to use… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-lankester/through-it-science-we-believe-that-man-will-be-saved-from-misery-and/)

[Ray Lankester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-lankester/)

> [If people don’t have an understanding of what science is and what scientists do, then they can tend to think that global warming, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/if-people-don-t-have-an-understanding-of-what-science-is-and-what/)

[Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/)

> [“It is worth understanding the science of the absolutely detached (Vitaraag) Lords. This world is your very own, and it is indeed in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/it-is-worth-understanding-the-science-of-the-absolutely-detached/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [People who come out of the liberal arts don't have an understanding of science and technology, and the people in science and technology have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/people-who-come-out-of-the-liberal-arts-don-t-have-an-understanding/)

[Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/)

> [When I was much younger, my siblings and I would routinely tune in to watch 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' on PBS. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-domenech/when-i-was-much-younger-my-siblings-and-i-would-routinely-tune-in-to/)

[Ben Domenech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-domenech/)

> [“We need to understand what variables most directly control our primary variable by understanding the science behind how the system works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-greene/we-need-to-understand-what-variables-most-directly-control-our/)

[Nat Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-greene/)

> [“In a technological world facing many global problems, everyone needs to have a basic understanding of science. And knowing where we came from and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyken-seagrave/in-a-technological-world-facing-many-global-problems-everyone-needs/)

[Wyken Seagrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyken-seagrave/)

## More by Priyamvada Natarajan

> [We cannot explain the phenomenon of gravitational lensing without general relativity, and this is where MOND spectacularly fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/we-cannot-explain-the-phenomenon-of-gravitational-lensing-without/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [We cannot decide on the efficacy of a medical treatment by counting the number of 'Likes' an intervention receives on Facebook; no matter what,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/we-cannot-decide-on-the-efficacy-of-a-medical-treatment-by-counting/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [Evidence has been mounting for the key role that black holes play in the process of galaxy formation. But it now appears that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/evidence-has-been-mounting-for-the-key-role-that-black-holes-play-in/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [The deep fascination with the mysterious, and the impulse to seek and locate ourselves in the cosmic context, seems to be imprinted in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/the-deep-fascination-with-the-mysterious-and-the-impulse-to-seek-and/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [I am a professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University, where I teach an introductory class in cosmology. I see the deficiencies that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/i-am-a-professor-of-astronomy-and-physics-at-yale-university-where-i/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [Mapping, both literal and metaphorical, has always been about our quest for knowing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/mapping-both-literal-and-metaphorical-has-always-been-about-our-quest/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [Black holes are enigmatic astronomical objects, areas where the gravity is so immense that it has warped spacetime so that not even light can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/black-holes-are-enigmatic-astronomical-objects-areas-where-the/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [Being nimble and ready to change our minds if need be is an attribute that is crucial to live and thrive in a society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/being-nimble-and-ready-to-change-our-minds-if-need-be-is-an-attribute/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [Research in basic sciences now requires resources that no one country can provide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/research-in-basic-sciences-now-requires-resources-that-no-one-country/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [It is my idea that the public needs to be better educated about the nature of scientific inquiry and how the scientific process works.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/it-is-my-idea-that-the-public-needs-to-be-better-educated-about-the/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [The precise effects of lensing depend on the mass of the lens, the structure of space-time, and the relative distance between us, the lens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/the-precise-effects-of-lensing-depend-on-the-mass-of-the-lens-the/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [If you know the shape of the lens and the image you get, you can work out the path that light followed between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/if-you-know-the-shape-of-the-lens-and-the-image-you-get-you-can-work/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [The early universe was a dusty place, and the UV radiation from the hot, young black holes and stars would get enshrouded by dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/the-early-universe-was-a-dusty-place-and-the-uv-radiation-from-the/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [We need to make sure that the Voyager probes carrying a record of human civilization speeding beyond our solar system remain an introduction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/we-need-to-make-sure-that-the-voyager-probes-carrying-a-record-of/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

> [I fell in love with the night sky when I first looked through a telescope as a young girl growing up in Delhi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/i-fell-in-love-with-the-night-sky-when-i-first-looked-through-a/)

[Priyamvada Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

[Explore all 49 Priyamvada Natarajan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/)

## More Data quotes

> [Information is money, but data is squat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-llama-butler/information-is-money-but-data-is-squat/)

[Angela Llama-Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-llama-butler/)

> [“ data analytics consulting Perceptive Analtyics is a data analytic company and a trusted advisor to its clients across domains. Click to know more”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastianmax/data-analytics-consulting-perceptive-analtyics-is-a-data-analytic/)

[SebastianMax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastianmax/)

> [The information nation took their clues from all the sound bite gluttons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem/the-information-nation-took-their-clues-from-all-the-sound-bite/)

[REM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem/)

> [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/)

[Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/)

> [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/)

[Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/)

> [Statistics are like miniskirts: They give you good ideas but hide the important things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ebbe-skovdahl/statistics-are-like-miniskirts-they-give-you-good-ideas-but-hide-the/)

[Ebbe Skovdahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ebbe-skovdahl/)

> [Unlike return, however, risk is no more quantifiable at the end of an investment that it was at its beginning. Risk simply cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/unlike-return-however-risk-is-no-more-quantifiable-at-the-end-of-an/)

[Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/)

> [Finding patterns is easy in any kind of data-rich environment; that's what mediocre gamblers do. The key is in determining whether the patterns represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/finding-patterns-is-easy-in-any-kind-of-data-rich-environment-that-s/)

[Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/)

> [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [We're living in a technological world. You cannot tell me we can't do a better job getting that information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/we-re-living-in-a-technological-world-you-cannot-tell-me-we-can-t-do/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Web users ultimately want to get at data quickly and easily. They don't care as much about attractive sites and pretty design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-berners-lee/web-users-ultimately-want-to-get-at-data-quickly-and-easily-they-don/)

[Tim Berners-Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-berners-lee/)

> [You cannot have 300-some million Americans - and really, right, the global citizenry be at risk of having their phone conversations intercepted with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/you-cannot-have-300-some-million-americans-and-really-right-the/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/)

[Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/)

> [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/)

[Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/)

> [“The amount of stored information grows four times faster than the world economy, while the processing power of computers grows nine times faster. Little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-mayer-sch-nberger/the-amount-of-stored-information-grows-four-times-faster-than-the/)

[Viktor Mayer-Schönberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-mayer-sch-nberger/)

[Browse all 3,134 Data quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Scientific knowledge is, by its nature, provisional. This is due to the fact that as time goes on, with the invention of better instruments, more data and better data hone our understanding further. Social, cultural, economic, and political context are relevant to our understanding of how science works.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Priyamvada Natarajan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-provisional-this-is-due-to-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Data"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-provisional-this-is-due-to-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59f/priyamvada-natarajan-13848_data_scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-pr_591798.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Scientific knowledge is, by its nature, provisional. This is due to the fact that as time goes on, with the…” — Priyamvada Natarajan",
                "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": "Priyamvada Natarajan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyamvada-natarajan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Scientific knowledge is, by its nature,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-provisional-this-is-due-to-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyamvada-natarajan/scientific-knowledge-is-by-its-nature-provisional-this-is-due-to-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
