"The great tragedy of science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact"
- Thomas Huxley
About this Quote
This quote by Thomas Huxley speaks with the difficulty of scientific development. It highlights the tension between the charm of a hypothesis, which is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon, and the unsightly facts that can disprove it. The quote suggests that science is a process of experimentation, which in some cases the truths do not line up with the hypothesis. This can be a challenging and discouraging experience for scientists, as they must abandon their gorgeous hypothesis in favor of the unsightly facts. This quote serves as a reminder that science is a procedure of discovery, which sometimes the facts do not match our expectations. It likewise functions as a suggestion that science is a process of knowing and development, which even when a hypothesis is disproved, it can result in brand-new discoveries.
"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization"
"Having soon discovered to be great, I must appear so, and therefore studiously avoided mixing in society, and wrapped myself in mystery, devoting my time to fasting and prayer"