Linus Pauling — "I am a scientist, and I believe in the scientific method. But I also believe tha…"
I am a scientist, and I believe in the scientific method. But I also believe that there are things that science cannot explain.
Get This Quote & Author's Image Illustrated On:
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time.
* Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
Kitchen
Apparel
Other
More from Linus Pauling
"I refuse to be intimidated by the word impossible."
"I believe that the human spirit is indomitable, and that we can overcome any challenge if we set our minds to it."
"I have always been a lover of nature, and I believe that we should all strive to protect our planet."
"I am convinced that we can abolish war, and that we must do so if we are to survive."
"I believe that the world is full of wonderful things, and that we should all strive to appreciate them."
Verification
Unverifiable
Found in 1 providers: grok
1 source checked
Understanding this quote
What it means
Being a scientist means trusting the scientific method as the best tool for understanding the natural world. But intellectual honesty demands acknowledging that science has boundaries — questions of consciousness, meaning, morality, or subjective experience may not yield to empirical testing. True rigor includes recognizing what your tools can and cannot measure. Science explains mechanisms; it may not explain everything that matters to human life.
Relevance to Linus Pauling
Pauling won two Nobel Prizes — Chemistry in 1954 for revolutionizing understanding of chemical bonds, and Peace in 1962 for opposing nuclear weapons testing. His anti-nuclear activism drew on science but was ultimately driven by moral conviction science alone couldn't supply. His controversial vitamin C advocacy also showed him pushing beyond consensus. He consistently acted as though some truths — about human life and dignity — exceeded what experiments could settle.
The era
Pauling's peak years coincided with the Cold War and the atomic age, when science was simultaneously celebrated as humanity's great hope and feared as its potential destroyer. The 1950s–60s saw the space race, DNA's discovery, and nuclear arsenals growing. Scientists faced intense pressure to serve state power or resist it. Questions about what science could — and couldn't — justify morally became urgent after physics had already produced Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
AI-generated insights based on extensive research and information for context. Factual errors? Email [email protected].