"One could write a history of science in reverse by assembling the solemn pronouncements of highest authority about what could not be done and could never happen"

Robert A. Heinlein's quote reviews the historic tendency of scientific authorities to assert restrictions on what can be achieved, frequently with great self-confidence. The quote recommends that a retrospective analysis (or "a history of science in reverse") could be built exclusively from reliable declarations that particular developments were impossible or implausible-- assertions that were later on shown to be inaccurate as science advanced.

Throughout history, many groundbreaking discoveries and innovations were when considered impossible. For instance, the concept of human flight was when mocked; esteemed scientists asserted that heavier-than-air flight was a pipeline dream until the Wright siblings proved otherwise. Likewise, area travel was once relegated to the world of science fiction, however ultimate moon landings showed that such ambitious endeavors were achievable.

Heinlein's words encourage an important reflection on the mindset of "impossibility" that frequently accompanies recognized scientific thought. They act as a pointer that clinical progress regularly lies beyond the horizons of present understanding which hesitation towards brand-new and non-traditional concepts can accidentally stifle innovation. The implication is not that scientific competence must be discredited, but rather that scientific communities ought to maintain an openness to possibilities that lie outside the borders of traditional wisdom.

The spirit of the quote depends on fostering humbleness and interest within clinical practice. It encourages scientists and the public alike to keep in mind that today's limitations may be tomorrow's developments which history has typically shown the error in presuming absolute certainty about what can not be attained. Overall, Heinlein's reflection is a call for a forward-looking optimism that embraces the capacity for what might be inconceivable today however possible tomorrow.