--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not going to fill in the potholes…" description: "\"It's not going to fill in the potholes. It's not going to put a roof over people's heads. What it does is it helps to address really fundamental questi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/steven-squyres-56439_about_it-s-not-going-to-fill-in-the-potholes-i_214642.jpg" --- # It's not going to fill in the potholes. It's not going to… ![“It's not going to fill in the potholes. It's not going to put a roof over people's heads. What it does is it helps to address really fundamental questions of who we are, where we came from, by which I mean we can learn how life came about.” quote by Steven Squyres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/steven-squyres-56439_about_it-s-not-going-to-fill-in-the-potholes-i_214642.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/steven-squyres-56439_about_it-s-not-going-to-fill-in-the-potholes-i_214642.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/762/steven-squyres-56439_about_it-s-not-going-to-fill-in-the-potholes-i_214642.jpg) > “It's not going to fill in the potholes. It's not going to put a roof over people's heads. What it does is it helps to address really fundamental questions of who we are, where we came from, by which I mean we can learn how life came about.” [Steven Squyres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-squyres/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science addresses fundamental questions about existence, not immediate material needs. **In simple terms:** Science seeks deep understanding, not quick fixes. Key Takeaway Value long‑term scientific inquiry. Themes science existence philosophy Mood inquisitive reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - education - public policy - personal worldview Key Concepts cosmology anthropology human nature Questions to Reflect On - What fundamental questions matter most to you? - How does scientific insight shape daily life? A Different Perspective Scientific answers may not translate into immediate practical solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) ## Related quotes > [“You can see in the table of contents how this will play out, but we’re going to frame our discussion around four fundamental questions:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rankin-wilbourne/you-can-see-in-the-table-of-contents-how-this-will-play-out-but-we-re/) [Rankin Wilbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rankin-wilbourne/) > [ We would do well to ask ourselves the kind of fundamental questions posed by \[Buruma's\] erudite and thought-provoking book. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sumption/we-would-do-well-to-ask-ourselves-the-kind-of-fundamental-questions/) Jonathan Sumption > [For the future, I would suggest avoiding subjects of too vast a scale. 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That is not to say that it is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-boot/the-most-fundamental-of-all-questions-that-can-possibly-be-asked-is/) Joe Boot > [I could never understand how someone would embark on their life without having first confronted and clarified the truly fundamental questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-metzinger/i-could-never-understand-how-someone-would-embark-on-their-life/) [Thomas Metzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-metzinger/) > [When you get back to fundamental questions - 'Why should anything exist?' A, I'm not sure what the answer is in terms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rhys-davies/when-you-get-back-to-fundamental-questions-why-should-anything-exist/) [John Rhys-Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rhys-davies/) > [Astronomers ought to be able to ask fundamental questions without accelerators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-perlmutter/astronomers-ought-to-be-able-to-ask-fundamental-questions-without/) [Saul Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-perlmutter/) > [If not now, then when? If not you, then who? If we are able to answer these fundamental questions, then perhaps we can wipe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kailash-satyarthi/if-not-now-then-when-if-not-you-then-who-if-we-are-able-to-answer/) [Kailash Satyarthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kailash-satyarthi/) ## More by Steven Squyres > [We're stunned by the diversity of rocks. This stuff looks like it was put into a blender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-squyres/we-re-stunned-by-the-diversity-of-rocks-this-stuff-looks-like-it-was/) [Steven Squyres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-squyres/) > [You create a pile of dirt and then drive over it. 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