Louis Agassiz

Study nature, not books.

The eye of the investigator is the first and last resort of science.

A laboratory is a place where one learns to observe, to experiment, to compare, to deduce, and to conclude.

The facts are there, and they are not to be explained away by any theory, however ingenious.

Every great scientific truth goes through three stages: First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next, they say it conflicts with science. Lastly, they say they have always believed it.

The more I study nature, the more I am amazed at the wisdom of the Creator.

The student of nature must be a patient and humble observer.

The highest aim of the natural sciences is to discover the thoughts of God.

The true naturalist is not content with collecting specimens; he seeks to understand their life and their relations.

I have always been a great admirer of facts, and I have always believed that facts are the only solid foundation for any theory.

The greatest service which can be rendered to science is to make it attractive to the young.

The study of nature is a communion with the Infinite.

The whole intellectual life of man is a struggle to understand the universe.

The more we know, the more we are aware of our ignorance.

The greatest discovery of all is to discover that we are not alone in the universe.

The true scientist is a poet in his heart.

The highest form of knowledge is to know why we know what we know.

The study of nature is an inexhaustible source of delight and instruction.

The true aim of education is to teach us how to think, not what to think.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.