Audio log: Feynman uncertainty of science

A quote by Richard Feynman about how scientists are used to dealing with uncertainties.

## Location

Go to the jungle laser and approach the opening overlooking the mountain. You'll find another tape on top of a rock.

## Transcript

If we were not able or did not desire to look in any new direction, if we did not have a doubt or recognize ignorance, we would not get any new ideas. There would be nothing worth checking, because we would know what is true.
So what we call scientific knowledge today is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty. Some of them are most unsure; some of them are nearly sure; but none is absolutely certain.
Scientists are used to this. We know that it is consistent to be able to live and not know.

Some people say, "How can you \_live\_ without knowing?" I do not know what they mean. I always live without knowing. That is easy. How you get to know is what I want to know.

This freedom to doubt is an important matter in the sciences and, I believe, in other fields. It was born of a struggle. It was a struggle to be permitted to doubt, to be unsure. And I do not want us to forget the importance of the struggle and, by default, to let the thing fall away.
I feel a responsibility as a scientist who knows the great value of a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance, and the progress made possible by such a philosophy, progress which is the fruit of freedom of thought.
I feel a responsibility to proclaim the value of this freedom and to teach that doubt is not to be feared, but that it is to be welcomed as the possibility of a new potential for human beings.

If you know that you are not sure, you have a chance to improve the situation. I want to demand this freedom for future generations.

Richard Feynman, 1963

## Literal interpretation

This audio log is sitting right before the end of the bamboo maze. This maze is made to keep you guessing as to how you can proceed and has all exits very well hidden. Trying to find your way in this maze will definitely raise the question if what you're doing is even the right thing or if you're missing something.
This doubt seems to be the hook for this quote. The fact that you were not sure, but made it to the end anyway is a proof that that's a method that can lead to truth.

## Literary context

This quote is taken from the same interview as the Feynman video and is from the BBC programme 'Horizons'. It's also featured in *"Richard Feynman, The pleasure of finding things out"*

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This orange audio log headlines Theme 1: Skepticism.

It's interesting to see how this quote is taken from the same interview as the video and has a meaning that is consistent with it, but how it's actually used to illustrate a completely different theme.

The big difference between this quote and the one in the video is that this quote very directly deals with not knowing things and how you deal with that, rather than looking at different methods for finding the truth. In fact, this quote actually actively shoots down a method of finding truth rather than accepting it.

This quote seeks the direct opposition to Theme 3: Faith in saying that it's normal to not have the ultimate answer and that in finding truth you have to be willing to be unsure about anything in order to learn something about it. That is a form of skepticism with regards to ultimate knowledge. The idea that it's not possible to be absolutely sure about anything, but only have degrees of certainty means you are always skeptical to some degree about everything.