--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Science is the study of what Is…" description: "\"Science is the study of what Is, Engineering builds what Will Be. The scientist merely explores that which exists, while the engineer creates what has ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg" --- # Science is the study of what Is, Engineering builds what… ![“Science is the study of what Is, Engineering builds what Will Be. The scientist merely explores that which exists, while the engineer creates what has never existed before.” quote by Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg) > “Science is the study of what Is, Engineering builds what Will Be. The scientist merely explores that which exists, while the engineer creates what has never existed before.” [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scientists study existing reality; engineers create future possibilities. Both roles are essential for progress. **In simple terms:** Scientists explore; engineers create. Key Takeaway Combine knowledge with creation. Themes science engineering innovation Mood optimistic inquisitive Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - research labs - product design - infrastructure projects - education Key Concepts creativity technology future‑thinking Questions to Reflect On - What future do you want to build? - How can science and engineering collaborate better? A Different Perspective Engineers may overreach without scientific grounding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not an engineer. I did not study engineering in school. But I was a super ambitious student growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-giertz/i-m-not-an-engineer-i-did-not-study-engineering-in-school-but-i-was-a/) [Simone Giertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-giertz/) > [My father would not pay for me to study anything but engineering or math in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-hatcher/my-father-would-not-pay-for-me-to-study-anything-but-engineering-or/) [Teri Hatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-hatcher/) > [A scientist describes what is. An engineer creates what never was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/a-scientist-describes-what-is-an-engineer-creates-what-never-was/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [ The \[engineer\] should be equipped with knowledge of many branches of study and varied kinds of learning, for it is by his judgement that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/the-engineer-should-be-equipped-with-knowledge-of-many-branches-of/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [God is a hacker, not an engineer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-crick/god-is-a-hacker-not-an-engineer/) [Francis Crick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-crick/) > [ It's \[programming\] the only job I can think of where I get to be both an engineer and an artist. There's an incredible, rigorous,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hertzfeld/it-s-programming-the-only-job-i-can-think-of-where-i-get-to-be-both/) [Andy Hertzfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hertzfeld/) > [An engineer cannot participate in irrationality ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/an-engineer-cannot-participate-in-irrationality/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [ A lawyer’s either a social engineer or … a parasite on society … A social engineer \[is\] a highly skilled, perceptive, sensitive lawyer who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hamilton-houston/a-lawyer-s-either-a-social-engineer-or-a-parasite-on-society-a-social/) [Charles Hamilton Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hamilton-houston/) > [I never knew what an engineer did for a living when I was a kid. I still don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-never-knew-what-an-engineer-did-for-a-living-when-i-was-a-kid-i/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I'm an engineer by trade, and what engineers do is they go and build, and they don't think a lot about storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/i-m-an-engineer-by-trade-and-what-engineers-do-is-they-go-and-build/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [By the time you get to college, it's much too late because you haven't had the math or science that you would need and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-love-cohen/by-the-time-you-get-to-college-it-s-much-too-late-because-you-haven-t/) [Judith Love Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-love-cohen/) > [I was a kind of a one-man army. I could solder circuits together, I could turn out things on the lathe, I could work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/i-was-a-kind-of-a-one-man-army-i-could-solder-circuits-together-i/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [I come from a pretty scientific family. My sister is a neurologist and my brother is an engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/i-come-from-a-pretty-scientific-family-my-sister-is-a-neurologist-and/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > [My ma is an economist. My dad is a software engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suraj-sharma/my-ma-is-an-economist-my-dad-is-a-software-engineer/) [Suraj Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suraj-sharma/) ## More by Theodore von Karman > [Some fear flutter because they do not understand it. And some fear it because they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/some-fear-flutter-because-they-do-not-understand-it-and-some-fear-it/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [I came to realize that exaggerated concern about what others are doing can be foolish. It can paralyze effort, and stifle a good idea.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/i-came-to-realize-that-exaggerated-concern-about-what-others-are/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [Everyone knows it takes a woman nine months to have a baby. But you Americans think if you get nine women pregnant, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/everyone-knows-it-takes-a-woman-nine-months-to-have-a-baby-but-you/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [A scientist describes what is. An engineer creates what never was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/a-scientist-describes-what-is-an-engineer-creates-what-never-was/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [“Scientists discover the world that exists; engineers create the world that never was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/scientists-discover-the-world-that-exists-engineers-create-the-world/) [Theodore Von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [Scientists study the world as it is, engineers create the world that never has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/scientists-study-the-world-as-it-is-engineers-create-the-world-that/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [I am quite pessimistic about ever achieving interstellar travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/i-am-quite-pessimistic-about-ever-achieving-interstellar-travel/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) > [This speaker reminds me of my childhood in Budapest. There were gypsy magicians who came to town to entertain us children. But as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/this-speaker-reminds-me-of-my-childhood-in-budapest-there-were-gypsy/) [Theodore von Karman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) [Explore all 9 Theodore von Karman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Science is the study of what Is, Engineering builds what Will Be. The scientist merely explores that which exists, while the engineer creates what has never existed before.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Theodore von Karman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineering-builds-what-will-be-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineering-builds-what-will-be-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/41e/theodore-von-karman-44916_education_science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineer_2494864.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Science is the study of what Is, Engineering builds what Will Be. The scientist merely explores that which…” — Theodore von Karman", "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": "Theodore von Karman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-von-karman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Science is the study of what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineering-builds-what-will-be-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-von-karman/science-is-the-study-of-what-is-engineering-builds-what-will-be-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 } } ] } ```