“Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next they say it has been discovered before. Lastly they say they always believed it.”

— Louis Agassiz

As quoted in A Dictionary of Scientific Quotations (1991) edited by Alan L. Mackay, ( p. 2 http://books.google.com/books?id=KwESE88CGa8C&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=every+scientific+truth+goes+through+three+stages+first+people+say+it+conflicts+with+the+bible+next+they+say+it+had+been+discovered+before+lastly+they+say+they+always+believed+in+it&source=web&ots=DKSjGVklFG&sig=TGpJ6LSI9CE4s7Nu8wUiGAq3rgI)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next they say it…" by Louis Agassiz?

Louis Agassiz 8

Swiss naturalist 1807–1873

Related quotes

“It has been said that every great emerging scientific truth goes to three phases: First people say: "It can't be true". Second they say: "It conflicts with the bible." Third they say: "It's true all along."”

Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958) American astrophysicist and science communicator

Neil deGrasse Tyson on Climate Change Deniers from ALL IN with Chris Hayes, MSNBC and also in Bill Maher Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJhbQIlu4mk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klgp_qDiRhQ
2010s
Variant: It has been said that every great emerging scientific truth goes to three phases: First people say: «It can't be true». Second they say: «It conflicts with the bible.» Third they say: «It's true all along.»

“There are three great truths, 1st, That there is a God; 2nd, That He has spoken to us in the Bible; 3rd, That He means what He says. Oh, the joy of trusting Him!”

James Hudson Taylor (1832–1905) Missionary in China

(A.J. Broomhall. Hudson Taylor and China’s Open Century, Book Six: Assault on the Nine. London: Hodder and Stoughton and Overseas Missionary Fellowship, 1988, 322).

“Every institution goes through three stages — utility, privilege, and abuse.”

François-René de Chateaubriand (1768–1848) French writer, politician, diplomat and historian

As quoted in Culture and Progress (1930) by Wilson Dallam Wallis.

“No public man in these islands ever believes that the Bible means what it says: he is always convinced that it says what he means.”

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish playwright

Our Theatres In The Nineties (1930)
1930s

“The great commandment is that we preach the gospel to every creature, but neither God nor the Bible says anything about forcing it down people's throats.”

Louis Zamperini (1917–2014) Italian-American middle distance runner

Source: Devil at My Heels

“There are three stages of truth. First is that it can't be true, and that's what they said. You couldn't immunize against polio with a killed-virus vaccine. Second phase: they say, "Well, if it's true, it's not very important. And the third stage is, 'Well, we've known it all along."”

Jonas Salk (1914–1995) Inventor of polio vaccine

Academy of Achievement interview (1991)

“Whenever someone says, 'We're all one,' I've always been like 'No we're not, and that's what's great, so stop saying that or everyone's gonna start believing you.'”

Josh Homme (1973) American musician

Source: Reported in Jay Babcock, " MUSIC IS NEVER WRONG: A visit with Josh Homme & John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures http://www.arthurmag.com/2009/10/15/them-crooked-vultures/", Arthur Magazine (October 15, 2009).
Context: But yeah, as we all look at the same projection on the wall, we do become one, and I started to realize the horror of that. And I make no attempt to try to alter it from being that; my thing is more about trying to apply some principles of magic—how to walk between the raindrops—and take advantage of a situation like that, because it’s the only choice you have.

“There are three stages in scientific discovery. First, people deny that it is true, then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.”

Bill Bryson book A Short History of Nearly Everything

Source: A Short History of Nearly Everything

“Before one blames, one should always find out whether one cannot excuse. To discover little faults has been always the particularity of such brains that are a little or not at all above the average. The superior ones keep quiet or say something against the whole and the great minds transform without blaming.”

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–1799) German scientist, satirist

K 39
Variant translation: Before we blame we should first see whether we cannot excuse.
Aphorisms (1765-1799), Notebook K (1789-1793)

“When people stand up and talk about the great success that the EU has been, I'm not sure anybody saying it really believes it themselves anymore.”

Nigel Farage (1964) British politician and former commodity broker

Speech in the European Parliament, 9 May 2012. Farage: We face the prospect of mass civil unrest, even revolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ6_Ey_MJV4&list=PL25613E6F90B320EC&index=14&feature=plpp_video
2012

“Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next they say it has been discovered before. Lastly they say they always believed it.”

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Louis Agassiz 8

Related quotes

Related topics