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Artificial Quote by R. Buckminster Fuller

“We speak erroneously of "artificial" materials, "synthetics", and so forth. The basis for this erroneous terminology is the notion that Nature has made certain things which we call natural, and everything else is "man-made", ergo artificial. But what one learns in chemistry is that Nature wrote…” quote by R. Buckminster Fuller
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“We speak erroneously of "artificial" materials, "synthetics", and so forth. The basis for this erroneous terminology is the notion that Nature has made certain things which we call natural, and everything else is "man-made", ergo artificial. But what one learns in chemistry is that Nature wrote all the rules of structuring; man does not invent chemical structuring rules; he only discovers the rules. All the chemist can do is find out what Nature permits, and any substances that are thus developed or discovered are inherently natural. It is very important to remember that.”

R. Buckminster Fuller

About This Quote

Source Lecture: "Nature and the Artificial", 1970

All chemical structures follow natural laws; human discovery does not create but reveals these rules.

In simple terms: Chemistry follows nature’s rules.

Key Takeaway

Learn from nature.

Themes

science philosophy human discovery

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

  • research labs
  • education
  • product development

Key Concepts

natural law chemistry innovation

Questions to Reflect On

  • What implications does this have for sustainability?
  • How can we balance natural discovery with ethical use?
A Different Perspective

Human bias may overlook the value of synthetic materials.

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