About this quote

Open criticism is not an optional comfort for science; it is part of the method by which weak claims are exposed and better ones survive. Political repression damages knowledge by making honest disagreement dangerous.

When to use it

• Researchers publish negative findings even when those results challenge a government-backed program.
• A university protects a scholar who questions an influential institution with documented evidence.
• A public-health team shares uncertainty openly instead of suppressing data that complicates policy.