---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a scientist I cannot say we don't want…"
description: "\"As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its also important, especiall..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg"
---

#  As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything…

![“As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its also important, especially when you are dealing with food, to be cautious.” quote by Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg)

> “As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its also important, especially when you are dealing with food, to be cautious.”

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Scientific progress should be welcomed, yet food technologies demand careful scrutiny to protect health and environment.

**In simple terms:** Science advances, but food safety needs caution.

Key Takeaway

Balance innovation with precaution.

Themes

science food safety ethics innovation risk management

Mood

thoughtful cautious

Type

ethical policy

When to use this quote

- policy making
- consumer education
- product development
- regulatory review

Key Concepts

precautionary principle public health environmental stewardship

Questions to Reflect On

- How do we ensure safety without stifling innovation?
- What safeguards are essential for new food tech?

A Different Perspective

Caution may slow beneficial breakthroughs if overapplied.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Advances in science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advances-in-science/) [Advances Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advances-science-877128/) [Be cautious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-cautious/) [Cautious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cautious/) [Food Cautious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food-cautious-1962151/) [Genetically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetically/) [Gmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gmos/) [Gmos Advances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gmos-advances-1962150/) [Hear Gmos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-gmos-1962149/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) [Scientist Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist-say-1263966/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/)

## Related quotes

> [Advances in science help to delegitimize the rule of kings and the power of the Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/advances-in-science-help-to-delegitimize-the-rule-of-kings-and-the/)

[Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/)

> [ We are very concerned all the time with figuring out new technologies and advances in science, but really \[while\] our future is dependent on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michal-rovner/we-are-very-concerned-all-the-time-with-figuring-out-new-technologies/)

[Michal Rovner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michal-rovner/)

> [My worry is that other advances in science may result in other means of mass destruction, maybe more readily available even than nuclear weapons.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-rotblat/my-worry-is-that-other-advances-in-science-may-result-in-other-means/)

[Joseph Rotblat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-rotblat/)

> [When I contemplate the immense advances in science and discoveries in the arts which have been made within the period of my life, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-i-contemplate-the-immense-advances-in-science-and-discoveries-in/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [The great advances in science usually result from new tools rather than from new doctrines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-great-advances-in-science-usually-result-from-new-tools-rather/)

[Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/)

> [One of the most painful circumstances of recent advances in science is that each one makes us know less than we thought we did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/one-of-the-most-painful-circumstances-of-recent-advances-in-science/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [It would be interesting to inquire how many times essential advances in science have first been made possible by the fact that the boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-kohler/it-would-be-interesting-to-inquire-how-many-times-essential-advances/)

[Wolfgang Kohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-kohler/)

> [To make yourself a good scientist I would say first, you have to have curiosity. If you don't have any curiosity you better choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasuku-honjo/to-make-yourself-a-good-scientist-i-would-say-first-you-have-to-have/)

[Tasuku Honjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasuku-honjo/)

> [“A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/a-well-known-scientist-some-say-it-was-bertrand-russell-once-gave-a/)

[Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/)

> [But this is an occupational hazard of being a scientist. You say this is the best information I have and then you realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-lomborg/but-this-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-being-a-scientist-you-say-this/)

[Bjorn Lomborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-lomborg/)

> [If, as the scientist say, sex is such a driving force, why is so much of it nowadays found parked?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/if-as-the-scientist-say-sex-is-such-a-driving-force-why-is-so-much-of/)

[Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/)

> [Many of our advances in science and technology were seeded through government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/many-of-our-advances-in-science-and-technology-were-seeded-through/)

[Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/)

> [“Popular opinion, journalistic cliché and misinformed historians notwithstanding, recent research has shown that the Middle Ages was a period of enormous advances in science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hannam/popular-opinion-journalistic-clich-and-misinformed-historians/)

[James Hannam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hannam/)

> [To me there has never been a higher source of earthly honor or distinction than that connected with advances in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/to-me-there-has-never-been-a-higher-source-of-earthly-honor-or/)

[Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/)

> [Advances in science and medical research and public health policies have meant that life expectancy for Australians is one of the highest in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-bishop/advances-in-science-and-medical-research-and-public-health-policies/)

[Julie Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-bishop/)

## More by Wangari Maathai

> [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/we-cannot-tire-or-give-up-we-owe-it-to-the-present-and-future/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [What I am trying to say is that they need to learn to rely on themselves and to learn from other people, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-they-need-to-learn-to-rely-on/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-long-as-there-is-no-trust-and-confidence-that-there-will-be/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [If Africa is left behind, she is going to continue pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, especially carbon. She's going to continue logging the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/if-africa-is-left-behind-she-is-going-to-continue-pumping-greenhouse/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [That's the way I do things when I want to celebrate, I always plant a tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/that-s-the-way-i-do-things-when-i-want-to-celebrate-i-always-plant-a/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [I think that for anybody who has worked in the civil society, government bureaucracy moves very very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-think-that-for-anybody-who-has-worked-in-the-civil-society/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [I have seen a lot of men, for example, who will make a will and include their daughters whether they are married or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-have-seen-a-lot-of-men-for-example-who-will-make-a-will-and-include/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [I was particularly talking with respect to aid, because that to me is one area that can make people so dependent, and unfortunately, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-was-particularly-talking-with-respect-to-aid-because-that-to-me-is/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [African women in general need to know that it's OK for them to be the way they are - to see the way they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/african-women-in-general-need-to-know-that-it-s-ok-for-them-to-be-the/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [When I first started, it was really an innocent response to the needs of women in rural areas. When we started planting trees to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/when-i-first-started-it-was-really-an-innocent-response-to-the-needs/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [Monsanto will not come empty-handed. Monsanto will come with a big bag of money. And because these governments are poor, when they are shown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/monsanto-will-not-come-empty-handed-monsanto-will-come-with-a-big-bag/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [Why has there been so much secrecy about AIDS? When you ask where did the virus come from, it raises a lot of flags.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/why-has-there-been-so-much-secrecy-about-aids-when-you-ask-where-did/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-stand-before-you-and-the-world-humbled-by-this-recognition-and/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

> [All through the ages the African people have made efforts to deliver themselves from oppressive forces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/all-through-the-ages-the-african-people-have-made-efforts-to-deliver/)

[Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

[Explore all 164 Wangari Maathai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/)

## More Advances in science quotes

> [The Muslim religion is so unreformed since it was created that nowhere in the Muslim world has there been any real advance in science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-tebbit/the-muslim-religion-is-so-unreformed-since-it-was-created-that/)

[Norman Tebbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-tebbit/)

> [Advances are Made by Answering Questions. Discoveries are Made by Questioning Answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-haisch/advances-are-made-by-answering-questions-discoveries-are-made-by-2/)

[Bernard Haisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-haisch/)

> [The great advances in science usually result from new tools rather than from new doctrines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-great-advances-in-science-usually-result-from-new-tools-rather/)

[Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/)

> [Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. What are now working conceptions, employed as a matter of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/every-great-advance-in-science-has-issued-from-a-new-audacity-of/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [It would be interesting to inquire how many times essential advances in science have first been made possible by the fact that the boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-kohler/it-would-be-interesting-to-inquire-how-many-times-essential-advances/)

[Wolfgang Kohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-kohler/)

> [It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/it-is-my-earnest-hope-and-indeed-the-hope-of-all-mankind-that-from/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Advances in science help to delegitimize the rule of kings and the power of the Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/advances-in-science-help-to-delegitimize-the-rule-of-kings-and-the/)

[Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/)

> [One of the most painful circumstances of recent advances in science is that each one makes us know less than we thought we did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/one-of-the-most-painful-circumstances-of-recent-advances-in-science/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Science is a human activity, and the best way to understand it is to understand the individual human beings who practise it. Science is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/science-is-a-human-activity-and-the-best-way-to-understand-it-is-to/)

[Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/)

> [In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken..."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-science-it-often-happens-that-scientists-say-you-know-that-s-a-2/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [To me there never has been a higher source of honour or distinction than that connected with advances in science. I have not possessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphry-davy/to-me-there-never-has-been-a-higher-source-of-honour-or-distinction/)

[Humphry Davy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphry-davy/)

> [Imagination is as vital to any advance in science as learning and precision are essential for starting points. Let me warn you to beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percival-lowell/imagination-is-as-vital-to-any-advance-in-science-as-learning-and-2/)

[Percival Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percival-lowell/)

> [As we conquer peak after peak we see in front of us regions full of interest and beauty, but we do not see our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-john-thomson/as-we-conquer-peak-after-peak-we-see-in-front-of-us-regions-full-of/)

[Joseph John Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-john-thomson/)

> [When I contemplate the immense advances in science and discoveries in the arts which have been made within the period of my life, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-i-contemplate-the-immense-advances-in-science-and-discoveries-in/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [My worry is that other advances in science may result in other means of mass destruction, maybe more readily available even than nuclear weapons.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-rotblat/my-worry-is-that-other-advances-in-science-may-result-in-other-means/)

[Joseph Rotblat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-rotblat/)

[Browse all 21 Advances in science quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advances-in-science/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its also important, especially when you are dealing with food, to be cautious.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wangari Maathai"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-want-to-hear-anything-about-gmos/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Advances in science"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-want-to-hear-anything-about-gmos/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cd/wangari-maathai-2479_advances-in-science_as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-wan_184123.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in…” — Wangari Maathai",
                "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": "Wangari Maathai",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As a scientist I cannot say...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-want-to-hear-anything-about-gmos/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-want-to-hear-anything-about-gmos/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```