--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At any one time there is a natural…" description: "\"At any one time there is a natural tendency among physicists to believe that we already know the essential ingredients of a comprehensive theory . But ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/val-logsdon-fitch-76035_believe_at-any-one-time-there-is-a-natural-tende_3136367.jpg" --- # At any one time there is a natural tendency among… ![“At any one time there is a natural tendency among physicists to believe that we already know the essential ingredients of a comprehensive theory . But each time a new frontier of observation is broached we inevitably discover new phenomena which force us to modify substantially our previous…” quote by Val Logsdon Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/val-logsdon-fitch-76035_believe_at-any-one-time-there-is-a-natural-tende_3136367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/val-logsdon-fitch-76035_believe_at-any-one-time-there-is-a-natural-tende_3136367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/val-logsdon-fitch-76035_believe_at-any-one-time-there-is-a-natural-tende_3136367.jpg) > “At any one time there is a natural tendency among physicists to believe that we already know the essential ingredients of a comprehensive theory . But each time a new frontier of observation is broached we inevitably discover new phenomena which force us to modify substantially our previous conceptions. I believe this process to be unending, that the delights and challenges of unexpected discovery will continue always.” Val Logsdon Fitch ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science constantly uncovers new phenomena, forcing revisions of existing theories; discovery is endless. **In simple terms:** Science keeps finding new things, changing our ideas. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity and stay adaptable in research. Themes science discovery theory progress uncertainty learning Mood reflective optimistic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - research labs - space missions - particle experiments - education - policy making Key Concepts paradigm shift epistemology innovation Questions to Reflect On - How can we stay open to unexpected results? - What structures support continual scientific revision? A Different Perspective New data can be misinterpreted or cause paradigm paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Conception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conception/) [Delight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delight/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Frontiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frontiers/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [New frontiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-frontiers/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Unending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unending/) ## Related quotes > [“At the moment I am occupied by an investigation with Kirchhoff which does not allow us to sleep. 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I will dwell now on only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-crookes/our-alleged-facts-might-be-true-in-all-kinds-of-ways-without/) [William Crookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-crookes/) > [Einstein does not remain attached to the classical principles, and when presented with a problem in physics he quickly envisages all of its possibilities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/einstein-does-not-remain-attached-to-the-classical-principles-and/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [The chief contribution of such a radically new and more powerful instrument would be, not to supplement our present ideas of the universe we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyman-spitzer/the-chief-contribution-of-such-a-radically-new-and-more-powerful/) Lyman Spitzer > [Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-roddenberry/space-the-final-frontier-these-are-the-voyages-of-the-starship/) [Gene Roddenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-roddenberry/) ## More by Val Logsdon Fitch > [But mainly I learned, in approaching the measurement of new phenomena, not just to consider using existing apparatus but to allow the mind to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-logsdon-fitch/but-mainly-i-learned-in-approaching-the-measurement-of-new-phenomena/) Val Logsdon Fitch > [Quality doesn't improve by sitting on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-logsdon-fitch/quality-doesn-t-improve-by-sitting-on-things/) Val Logsdon Fitch Explore all 3 Val Logsdon Fitch quotes ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At any one time there is a natural tendency among physicists to believe that we already know the essential ingredients of a comprehensive theory . But each time a new frontier of observation is broached we inevitably discover new phenomena which force us to modify substantially our previous conceptions. 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