--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must start with scientific…" description: "\"We must start with scientific fundamentals, and that means with the data of experiments and not with assumed axioms predicated only upon the misleading..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/r-buckminster-fuller-937_axioms_we-must-start-with-scientific-fundamenta_130032.jpg" --- # We must start with scientific fundamentals, and that means… ![“We must start with scientific fundamentals, and that means with the data of experiments and not with assumed axioms predicated only upon the misleading nature of that which only superficially seems to be obvious. It is the consensus of great scientists that science is the attempt to set in order…” quote by R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/r-buckminster-fuller-937_axioms_we-must-start-with-scientific-fundamenta_130032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/r-buckminster-fuller-937_axioms_we-must-start-with-scientific-fundamenta_130032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3e/r-buckminster-fuller-937_axioms_we-must-start-with-scientific-fundamenta_130032.jpg) > “We must start with scientific fundamentals, and that means with the data of experiments and not with assumed axioms predicated only upon the misleading nature of that which only superficially seems to be obvious. It is the consensus of great scientists that science is the attempt to set in order the facts of experience.” [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science should begin with experimental data, not untested assumptions; it seeks to organize experiential facts into coherent understanding. **In simple terms:** Start with data, not guesses; organize facts to understand reality. Key Takeaway Prioritize evidence over assumptions in problem solving. Themes scientific method empiricism critical thinking knowledge organization Mood analytical curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research design - policy analysis - product development - educational curricula Key Concepts data-driven inquiry experimental validation fact synthesis Questions to Reflect On - What data would challenge your current belief? - How do you balance theory and evidence? A Different Perspective Assumptions can still guide hypotheses when data is scarce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Axioms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/axioms/) [Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Great scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-scientist/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) ## Related quotes > [Lack of scientific fundamentals causes people to make foolish decisions about issues such as the toxicity of chemicals, the efficacy of medicines, the changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-agre/lack-of-scientific-fundamentals-causes-people-to-make-foolish/) [Peter Agre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-agre/) > [The need for general scientific understanding by the public has never been larger, and the penalty for scientific illiteracy never harsher. Lack of scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-agre/the-need-for-general-scientific-understanding-by-the-public-has-never/) [Peter Agre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-agre/) > [Science is the attempt to make the chaotic diversity of our sense-experience correspond to a logically uniform system of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/science-is-the-attempt-to-make-the-chaotic-diversity-of-our-sense/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I hope I'm not giving the impression of an ivory tower science, but for me science is an attempt to understand, it's an attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/i-hope-i-m-not-giving-the-impression-of-an-ivory-tower-science-but/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [So far I have been speaking of theoretical science, which is an attempt to understand the world. Practical science, which is an attempt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/so-far-i-have-been-speaking-of-theoretical-science-which-is-an/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Science is an attempt, largely successful, to understand the world, to get a grip on things, to get hold of ourselves, to steer a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/science-is-an-attempt-largely-successful-to-understand-the-world-to/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Science in its attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Universe, Has discovered the ultimate reality that we are all One.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gian-kumar/science-in-its-attempt-to-unravel-the-mysteries-of-the-universe-has/) [Gian Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gian-kumar/) > [A great scientist is more open to a new idea than almost anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/a-great-scientist-is-more-open-to-a-new-idea-than-almost-anybody/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [All the greatest men are maniacs. They are possessed by a mania which drives them forward towards thier goal. The great scientists, the philosophers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/all-the-greatest-men-are-maniacs-they-are-possessed-by-a-mania-which/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [When kids look up to great scientists the way they do to great musicians and actors, civilization will jump to the next level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/when-kids-look-up-to-great-scientists-the-way-they-do-to-great/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Austrian public-opinion pollsters recently reported that those held in highest esteem by most of the people interviewed are neither the great artists nor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/austrian-public-opinion-pollsters-recently-reported-that-those-held/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You could have been a great scientist or something. Or a writer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/you-could-have-been-a-great-scientist-or-something-or-a-writer/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [It is frequently the tragedy of the great artist, as it is of the great scientist, that he frightens the ordinary man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/it-is-frequently-the-tragedy-of-the-great-artist-as-it-is-of-the/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [When it was suggested to Pasteur that many of his great achievements depended on luck, he replied - I'm sure with more than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-wolpert/when-it-was-suggested-to-pasteur-that-many-of-his-great-achievements/) [Lewis Wolpert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-wolpert/) > [Science will always raise philosophical questions like, is any scientific theory or model correct? How do we know? Are unobserved things real? etc. and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-crane/science-will-always-raise-philosophical-questions-like-is-any/) [Tim Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-crane/) ## More by R. Buckminster Fuller > [If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-you-are-the-master-be-sometimes-blind-if-you-are-the-servant-be/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [All children are born geniuses, and we spend the first six years of their lives degeniusing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/all-children-are-born-geniuses-and-we-spend-the-first-six-years-of/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [I have spent most of my life unlearning things that were proved not to be true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/i-have-spent-most-of-my-life-unlearning-things-that-were-proved-not/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [There is no energy crisis, only a crisis of ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/there-is-no-energy-crisis-only-a-crisis-of-ignorance/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [The opposite of nature is impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-opposite-of-nature-is-impossible/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [You can never learn less; you can only learn more. The reason I know so much is because I have made so many mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/you-can-never-learn-less-you-can-only-learn-more-the-reason-i-know-so/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Man is going to be displaced altogether as a specialist by the computer. Man himself is being forced to reestablish, employ, and enjoy his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/man-is-going-to-be-displaced-altogether-as-a-specialist-by-the/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [If we design the environment properly It will permit both child and adult to develop safely And to behave logically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/if-we-design-the-environment-properly-it-will-permit-both-child-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [We are in an age that assumes the narrowing trends of specialization to be logical, natural, and desirable. Consequently, society expects all earnestly responsible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/we-are-in-an-age-that-assumes-the-narrowing-trends-of-specialization/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Synergy means behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the behavior of their parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/synergy-means-behavior-of-whole-systems-unpredicted-by-the-behavior/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [The Universe consists of non-simultaneously apprehended events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-universe-consists-of-non-simultaneously-apprehended-events/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Humans have always unknowingly affected all Universe by every act and thought they articulate or even consider.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/humans-have-always-unknowingly-affected-all-universe-by-every-act-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [There is no such thing as a failed experiment, only experiments with unexpected outcomes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-failed-experiment-only-experiments-with/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [Coping with the totality of Spaceship Earth and universe is ahead for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/coping-with-the-totality-of-spaceship-earth-and-universe-is-ahead-for/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) [Explore all 325 R. Buckminster Fuller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) ## More Axioms quotes > [As a leader... I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/as-a-leader-i-have-always-endeavored-to-listen-to-what-each-and-every/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [We should never forget the two axioms: 'Jesus is with me' and whatever happens, happens by the will of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-foucauld/we-should-never-forget-the-two-axioms-jesus-is-with-me-and-whatever/) [Charles de Foucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-foucauld/) > [“An expensive coffin does not decrease the deceased’s chances of going to hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-expensive-coffin-does-not-decrease-the-deceased-s-chances-of-going/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Based on the considerations of history, ancient history, and international axioms, the logic of following up a citizen with his shadow for the purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saddam-hussein/based-on-the-considerations-of-history-ancient-history-and/) [Saddam Hussein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saddam-hussein/) > [For an act may be wrong judged purely by itself, but when the motive that prompted the act is understood, it is construed differently.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-keckley/for-an-act-may-be-wrong-judged-purely-by-itself-but-when-the-motive/) [Elizabeth Keckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-keckley/) > [But if men would give heed to the nature of substance they would doubt less concerning the Proposition that Existence appertains to the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/but-if-men-would-give-heed-to-the-nature-of-substance-they-would/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Geometry, like arithmetic, requires for its logical development only a small number of simple, fundamental principles. These fundamental principles are called the axioms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/geometry-like-arithmetic-requires-for-its-logical-development-only-a/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) > [The eye of understanding is like the eye of the sense; for as you may see great objects through small crannies or levels, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-eye-of-understanding-is-like-the-eye-of-the-sense-for-as-you-may/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [It was an axiom of "containment" that no part of the known world could be considered neutral. "Neutralism" was among the Cold Warriors' gravest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-was-an-axiom-of-containment-that-no-part-of-the-known-world-could/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It should be remembered, as an axiom of eternal truth in politics, that whatever power in any government is independent, is absolute also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/it-should-be-remembered-as-an-axiom-of-eternal-truth-in-politics-that/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I've made movies that were adaptations and I've been kind of frustrated by the process because, you know that old axiom, 'It's never as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/i-ve-made-movies-that-were-adaptations-and-i-ve-been-kind-of/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) > [I collect axioms, paradoxes, maxims, teaching stories, proverbs, and aphorisms of all sorts, because I love to see complex ideas distilled into a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/i-collect-axioms-paradoxes-maxims-teaching-stories-proverbs-and/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“people get unbelievably upset when you poke them in the axioms”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-b-peterson/people-get-unbelievably-upset-when-you-poke-them-in-the-axioms/) [Jordan B. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-b-peterson/) [Browse all 223 Axioms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/axioms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We must start with scientific fundamentals, and that means with the data of experiments and not with assumed axioms predicated only upon the misleading nature of that which only superficially seems to be obvious. It is the consensus of great scientists that science is the attempt to set in order the facts of experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R. 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