TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY ®  •  TODAYINSCI ®
Celebrating 24 Years on the Web
Find science on or your birthday

Today in Science History - Quickie Quiz
Who said: “As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.”
more quiz questions >>
Home > Category Index for Science Quotations > Category Index D > Category: Dismiss

Dismiss Quotes (12 quotes)

[E.H.] Moore was presenting a paper on a highly technical topic to a large gathering of faculty and graduate students from all parts of the country. When half way through he discovered what seemed to be an error (though probably no one else in the room observed it). He stopped and re-examined the doubtful step for several minutes and then, convinced of the error, he abruptly dismissed the meeting—to the astonishment of most of the audience. It was an evidence of intellectual courage as well as honesty and doubtless won for him the supreme admiration of every person in the group—an admiration which was in no wise diminished, but rather increased, when at a later meeting he announced that after all he had been able to prove the step to be correct.
In Obituary, 'Eliakim Hastings Moore', The American Mathematical Monthly (Apr 1933), 40, 191.
Science quotes on:  |  Admiration (61)  |  Announce (13)  |  Astonishment (30)  |  Audience (28)  |  Convinced (23)  |  Correct (95)  |  Country (269)  |  Courage (82)  |  Diminish (17)  |  Discover (571)  |  Doubtful (30)  |  Doubtless (8)  |  Error (339)  |  Evidence (267)  |  Examine (84)  |  Faculty (76)  |  Gathering (23)  |  Graduate (32)  |  Graduate Student (13)  |  Honesty (29)  |  Increase (225)  |  Intellectual (258)  |  Large (398)  |  Meeting (22)  |  Minute (129)  |   Eliakim Hastings Moore (2)  |  Most (1728)  |  Observed (149)  |  Paper (192)  |  Person (366)  |  Present (630)  |  Prove (261)  |  Step (234)  |  Stop (89)  |  Student (317)  |  Supreme (73)  |  Technical (53)  |  Through (846)  |  Topic (23)  |  Way (1214)  |  Wise (143)

As a graduate student at Columbia University, I remember the a priori derision of my distinguished stratigraphy professor toward a visiting Australian drifter ... Today my own students would dismiss with even more derision anyone who denied the evident truth of continental drift–a prophetic madman is at least amusing; a superannuated fuddy-duddy is merely pitiful.
…...
Science quotes on:  |  A Priori (26)  |  Amusing (2)  |  Anyone (38)  |  Australian (2)  |  Columbia (2)  |  Continental Drift (15)  |  Deny (71)  |  Derision (8)  |  Distinguish (168)  |  Distinguished (84)  |  Evident (92)  |  Graduate (32)  |  Graduate Student (13)  |  Least (75)  |  Madman (6)  |  Merely (315)  |  More (2558)  |  Pitiful (5)  |  Professor (133)  |  Prophetic (4)  |  Remember (189)  |  Stratigraphy (7)  |  Student (317)  |  Today (321)  |  Toward (45)  |  Truth (1109)  |  University (130)  |  Visit (27)

Biological disciplines tend to guide research into certain channels. One consequence is that disciplines are apt to become parochial, or at least to develop blind spots, for example, to treat some questions as “interesting” and to dismiss others as “uninteresting.” As a consequence, readily accessible but unworked areas of genuine biological interest often lie in plain sight but untouched within one discipline while being heavily worked in another. For example, historically insect physiologists have paid relatively little attention to the behavioral and physiological control of body temperature and its energetic and ecological consequences, whereas many students of the comparative physiology of terrestrial vertebrates have been virtually fixated on that topic. For the past 10 years, several of my students and I have exploited this situation by taking the standard questions and techniques from comparative vertebrate physiology and applying them to insects. It is surprising that this pattern of innovation is not more deliberately employed.
In 'Scientific innovation and creativity: a zoologist’s point of view', American Zoologist (1982), 22, 233.
Science quotes on:  |  Accessible (27)  |  Apply (170)  |  Apt (9)  |  Area (33)  |  Attention (196)  |  Become (821)  |  Behavioral (6)  |  Being (1276)  |  Biological (137)  |  Blind (98)  |  Blind Spot (2)  |  Body (557)  |  Certain (557)  |  Channel (23)  |  Comparative (14)  |  Consequence (220)  |  Control (182)  |  Deliberately (6)  |  Develop (278)  |  Discipline (85)  |  Ecological (7)  |  Employ (115)  |  Energetic (6)  |  Example (98)  |  Exploit (19)  |  Genuine (54)  |  Guide (107)  |  Heavily (14)  |  Historically (3)  |  Innovation (49)  |  Insect (89)  |  Interest (416)  |  Interesting (153)  |  Least (75)  |  Lie (370)  |  Little (717)  |  More (2558)  |  Often (109)  |  Other (2233)  |  Past (355)  |  Pattern (116)  |  Pay (45)  |  Physiological (64)  |  Physiologist (31)  |  Physiology (101)  |  Plain (34)  |  Question (649)  |  Readily (10)  |  Relatively (8)  |  Research (753)  |  Several (33)  |  Sight (135)  |  Situation (117)  |  Standard (64)  |  Student (317)  |  Surprise (91)  |  Technique (84)  |  Temperature (82)  |  Tend (124)  |  Terrestrial (62)  |  Topic (23)  |  Treat (38)  |  Uninteresting (9)  |  Untouched (5)  |  Unworked (2)  |  Vertebrate (22)  |  Virtually (6)  |  Work (1402)  |  Year (963)

Every consideration that did not relate to “what is best for the patient” was dismissed. This was Sir William [Gull]’s professional axiom. … But the carrying of it out not unfrequently involved him in difficulty, and led occasionally to his being misunderstood. … He would frequently refuse to repeat a visit or consultation on the ground that he wished the sufferer to feel that it was unnecessary.
In Memoir, as Editor, prefacing Sir William Withey Gull and Theodore Dyke Acland (ed.), A Collection of the Published Writings of William Withey Gull (1896), xviii.
Science quotes on:  |  Axiom (65)  |  Being (1276)  |  Best (467)  |  Consideration (143)  |  Consulting (13)  |  Difficulty (201)  |  Feel (371)  |  Good (906)  |  Ground (222)  |  Sir William Withey Gull (39)  |  Involved (90)  |  Patient (209)  |  Professional (77)  |  Refuse (45)  |  Sufferer (7)  |  Unnecessary (23)  |  Visit (27)  |  Wish (216)

I respect Kirkpatrick both for his sponges and for his numinous nummulosphere. It is easy to dismiss a crazy theory with laughter that debars any attempt to understand a man’s motivation–and the nummulosphere is a crazy theory. I find that few men of imagination are not worth my attention. Their ideas may be wrong, even foolish, but their methods often repay a close study ... The different drummer often beats a fruitful tempo.
…...
Science quotes on:  |  Attempt (266)  |  Attention (196)  |  Beat (42)  |  Both (496)  |  Close (77)  |  Crazy (27)  |  Debar (2)  |  Different (595)  |  Drummer (3)  |  Easy (213)  |  Find (1014)  |  Foolish (41)  |  Fruitful (61)  |  Idea (881)  |  Imagination (349)  |  Laughter (34)  |  Man (2252)  |  Method (531)  |  Motivation (28)  |  Often (109)  |  Repay (3)  |  Respect (212)  |  Sponge (9)  |  Study (701)  |  Tempo (3)  |  Theory (1015)  |  Understand (648)  |  Worth (172)  |  Wrong (246)

I’ve tried to make the men around me feel as I do, that we are embarked as pioneers upon a new science and industry in which our problems are so new and unusual that it behooves no one to dismiss any novel idea with the statement, “It can’t be done.”
Start of Boeing’s quote, inscribed on his memorial at the Boeing Developmental Center, Tukwila, WA, as given in Mike Lombardi, 'Historical Perspective: 50 years at the Leading Edge', Boeing Frontiers (Aug 2009), 8.
Science quotes on:  |  Behoove (6)  |  Can�t (16)  |  Do (1905)  |  Embark (7)  |  Feel (371)  |  Idea (881)  |  Industry (159)  |  New (1273)  |  Novel (35)  |  Pioneer (37)  |  Problem (731)  |  Statement (148)  |  Unusual (37)

If you are young, then I say: Learn something about statistics as soon as you can. Don’t dismiss it through ignorance or because it calls for thought. … If you are older and already crowned with the laurels of success, see to it that those under your wing who look to you for advice are encouraged to look into this subject. In this way you will show that your arteries are not yet hardened, and you will be able to reap the benefits without doing overmuch work yourself. Whoever you are, if your work calls for the interpretation of data, you may be able to do without statistics, but you won’t do as well.
In Facts from Figures (1951), 463.
Science quotes on:  |  Advice (57)  |  Already (226)  |  Artery (10)  |  Benefit (123)  |  Call (781)  |  Crown (39)  |  Data (162)  |  Do (1905)  |  Doing (277)  |  Encourage (43)  |  Hardened (2)  |  Ignorance (254)  |  Interpretation (89)  |  Laurel (2)  |  Learn (672)  |  Look (584)  |  Older (7)  |  Reap (19)  |  Say (989)  |  See (1094)  |  Show (353)  |  Something (718)  |  Soon (187)  |  Statistics (170)  |  Subject (543)  |  Success (327)  |  Thought (995)  |  Through (846)  |  Way (1214)  |  Whoever (42)  |  Will (2350)  |  Wing (79)  |  Work (1402)  |  Young (253)

In entering upon any scientific pursuit, one of the student’s first endeavours ought to be, to prepare his mind for the reception of truth, by dismissing, or at least loosening his hold on, all such crude and hastily adopted notions respecting the objects and relations he is about to examine as may tend to embarrass or mislead him.
From opening paragraph, J.F.W. Herschel, 'Introduction', A Treatise on Astronomy (1833), 1.
Science quotes on:  |  Crude (32)  |  Embarrass (2)  |  Examine (84)  |  Hasty (7)  |  Mislead (6)  |  Notion (120)  |  Preparation (60)  |  Pursuit (128)  |  Student (317)  |  Truth (1109)

Instead of dismissing professors for finding something out, let us rather discharge those who do not. Let each teacher understand that investigation is not dangerous for him; that his bread is safe, no matter how much truth he may discover, and that his salary will not be reduced, simply because he finds that the ancient Jews did not know the entire history of the world.
In Some Mistakes of Moses (1879), 27.
Science quotes on:  |  Ancient (198)  |  Bread (42)  |  Dangerous (108)  |  Discharge (21)  |  Discovery (837)  |  Entire (50)  |  Find (1014)  |  History (716)  |  Investigation (250)  |  Jew (11)  |  Know (1538)  |  No Matter (4)  |  Professor (133)  |  Reduce (100)  |  Safe (61)  |  Salary (8)  |  Science And Religion (337)  |  Teacher (154)  |  Tenure (8)  |  Truth (1109)  |  Understand (648)  |  World (1850)

People are entirely too disbelieving of coincidence. They are far too ready to dismiss it and to build arcane structures of extremely rickety substance in order to avoid it. I, on the other hand, see coincidence everywhere as an inevitable consequence of the laws of probability, according to which having no unusual coincidence is far more unusual than any coincidence could possibly be.
In The Planet That Wasn't (1976), 3.
Science quotes on:  |  According (236)  |  Arcane (4)  |  Avoid (123)  |  Build (211)  |  Coincidence (20)  |  Conincidence (4)  |  Consequence (220)  |  Disbelief (4)  |  Everywhere (98)  |  Inevitable (53)  |  Law (913)  |  More (2558)  |  Order (638)  |  Other (2233)  |  People (1031)  |  Possibly (111)  |  Probability (135)  |  See (1094)  |  Structure (365)  |  Substance (253)  |  Unusual (37)

Psychology … tells us that we rarely work through reasons and evidence in a systematic way; weighing information carefully and suspending the impulse to draw conclusions. Instead, much of the time we use mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that save us mental effort. These habits often work reasonably well, but they also can lead us to conclusions we might dismiss if we applied more thought.
As co-author with Kathleen Hall Jamieson, in unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation (2007), 70.
Science quotes on:  |  Applied (176)  |  Careful (28)  |  Carefully (65)  |  Conclusion (266)  |  Draw (140)  |  Effort (243)  |  Evidence (267)  |  Habit (174)  |  Impulse (52)  |  Information (173)  |  Lead (391)  |  Mental (179)  |  More (2558)  |  Psychology (166)  |  Reason (766)  |  Rule (307)  |  Rule Of Thumb (3)  |  Save (126)  |  Shortcut (3)  |  Systematic (58)  |  Tell (344)  |  Thought (995)  |  Through (846)  |  Thumb (18)  |  Time (1911)  |  Use (771)  |  Way (1214)  |  Work (1402)

Tait once urged the advantage of Quaternions on Cayley (who never used them), saying: “You know Quaternions are just like a pocket-map.” “That may be,” replied Cayley, “but you’ve got to take it out of your pocket, and unfold it, before it’s of any use.” And he dismissed the subject with a smile.
In Life of Lord Kelvin (1910), 1137.
Science quotes on:  |  Advantage (144)  |  Arthur Cayley (17)  |  Know (1538)  |  Map (50)  |  Mathematicians and Anecdotes (141)  |  Never (1089)  |  Pocket (11)  |  Quaternion (9)  |  Reply (58)  |  Say (989)  |  Smile (34)  |  Subject (543)  |  Peter Guthrie Tait (11)  |  Unfold (15)  |  Urge (17)  |  Use (771)


Carl Sagan Thumbnail In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. (1987) -- Carl Sagan
Quotations by:Albert EinsteinIsaac NewtonLord KelvinCharles DarwinSrinivasa RamanujanCarl SaganFlorence NightingaleThomas EdisonAristotleMarie CurieBenjamin FranklinWinston ChurchillGalileo GalileiSigmund FreudRobert BunsenLouis PasteurTheodore RooseveltAbraham LincolnRonald ReaganLeonardo DaVinciMichio KakuKarl PopperJohann GoetheRobert OppenheimerCharles Kettering  ... (more people)

Quotations about:Atomic  BombBiologyChemistryDeforestationEngineeringAnatomyAstronomyBacteriaBiochemistryBotanyConservationDinosaurEnvironmentFractalGeneticsGeologyHistory of ScienceInventionJupiterKnowledgeLoveMathematicsMeasurementMedicineNatural ResourceOrganic ChemistryPhysicsPhysicianQuantum TheoryResearchScience and ArtTeacherTechnologyUniverseVolcanoVirusWind PowerWomen ScientistsX-RaysYouthZoology  ... (more topics)
Sitewide search within all Today In Science History pages:
Visit our Science and Scientist Quotations index for more Science Quotes from archaeologists, biologists, chemists, geologists, inventors and inventions, mathematicians, physicists, pioneers in medicine, science events and technology.

Names index: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Categories index: | 1 | 2 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Thank you for sharing.
- 100 -
Sophie Germain
Gertrude Elion
Ernest Rutherford
James Chadwick
Marcel Proust
William Harvey
Johann Goethe
John Keynes
Carl Gauss
Paul Feyerabend
- 90 -
Antoine Lavoisier
Lise Meitner
Charles Babbage
Ibn Khaldun
Euclid
Ralph Emerson
Robert Bunsen
Frederick Banting
Andre Ampere
Winston Churchill
- 80 -
John Locke
Bronislaw Malinowski
Bible
Thomas Huxley
Alessandro Volta
Erwin Schrodinger
Wilhelm Roentgen
Louis Pasteur
Bertrand Russell
Jean Lamarck
- 70 -
Samuel Morse
John Wheeler
Nicolaus Copernicus
Robert Fulton
Pierre Laplace
Humphry Davy
Thomas Edison
Lord Kelvin
Theodore Roosevelt
Carolus Linnaeus
- 60 -
Francis Galton
Linus Pauling
Immanuel Kant
Martin Fischer
Robert Boyle
Karl Popper
Paul Dirac
Avicenna
James Watson
William Shakespeare
- 50 -
Stephen Hawking
Niels Bohr
Nikola Tesla
Rachel Carson
Max Planck
Henry Adams
Richard Dawkins
Werner Heisenberg
Alfred Wegener
John Dalton
- 40 -
Pierre Fermat
Edward Wilson
Johannes Kepler
Gustave Eiffel
Giordano Bruno
JJ Thomson
Thomas Kuhn
Leonardo DaVinci
Archimedes
David Hume
- 30 -
Andreas Vesalius
Rudolf Virchow
Richard Feynman
James Hutton
Alexander Fleming
Emile Durkheim
Benjamin Franklin
Robert Oppenheimer
Robert Hooke
Charles Kettering
- 20 -
Carl Sagan
James Maxwell
Marie Curie
Rene Descartes
Francis Crick
Hippocrates
Michael Faraday
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Francis Bacon
Galileo Galilei
- 10 -
Aristotle
John Watson
Rosalind Franklin
Michio Kaku
Isaac Asimov
Charles Darwin
Sigmund Freud
Albert Einstein
Florence Nightingale
Isaac Newton


by Ian Ellis
who invites your feedback
Thank you for sharing.
Today in Science History
Sign up for Newsletter
with quiz, quotes and more.