Accounts Quote by Victor Hugo
“Because a fact seems strange to you, you conclude that it is not one. ... All science, however, commences by being strange. Science is successive. It goes from one wonder to another. It mounts by a ladder. The science of to-day would seem extravagant to the science of a former time. Ptolemy would believe Newton mad.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: “On Science and Wonder”, 1845
Highlights that curiosity drives scientific progress, even when ideas seem odd.
In simple terms: Science starts with strange ideas.
Embrace curiosity, question norms.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- research
- education
- innovation
- critical thinking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What strange idea could become next breakthrough?
- How do we balance skepticism and openness?
Strangeness may be dismissed as nonsense.