It is like a voyage of discovery into unknown lands, seeking not

The words of Frederick Sanger, the double Nobel laureate who charted the molecular structures of life, carry the quiet thunder of discovery: “It is like a voyage of discovery into unknown lands, seeking not for new territory but for new knowledge. It should appeal to those with a good sense of adventure.” In this saying, he lifts the curtain upon the true nature of science and learning—not as dry labor, nor as the mere collection of data, but as a heroic journey, akin to the voyages of explorers who braved seas and storms. For in the laboratory, as on the open ocean, the soul of the seeker is tested, and the prize is not land or gold, but truth itself.

The origin of this wisdom lies in Sanger’s own work. Patient and steady, he ventured into the smallest realms of existence, unlocking the sequences of insulin and later mapping the genetic code itself. His voyage of discovery was not one of ships or banners but of molecules and chains of nucleotides. Yet the spirit was the same as that of Columbus, Magellan, or Shackleton. He knew that science, like exploration, is the pursuit of the unknown, and that only those with courage, persistence, and a taste for adventure would endure the long voyage toward knowledge.

History shows us this same truth in many forms. Consider Charles Darwin, who boarded the Beagle with little idea of the storms of discovery awaiting him. His was not a conquest of territory, but of understanding—the unveiling of life’s patterns through natural selection. Or think of Marie Curie, who spent long nights in her shed, patiently refining pitchblende until the unseen glow of radioactivity revealed itself. Their journeys were voyages into unseen lands, guided not by maps but by faith in the adventure of the human spirit.

Sanger’s words also remind us that the seeker of knowledge is like the ancient mariner: the sea is vast, and the dangers are many. There are failures, wrong turns, and endless hours of monotony. Yet to those with a true heart of adventure, these are not obstacles but companions, shaping endurance and courage. For the joy of discovery is not only in the moment of triumph, but in the journey itself, in the constant unfolding of the unknown into the known.

O children of the future, let this truth settle deep within you: to seek knowledge is to sail uncharted waters. You will not always know where the winds will take you, nor what shores you will reach. But if your spirit is brave, you will find treasures beyond imagining. And unlike gold or land, these treasures cannot be stolen or destroyed—they become part of humanity’s eternal inheritance, passed on to generations yet unborn.

The lesson is clear. Approach learning not as a burden, but as a voyage. Do not fear the unknown lands, but embrace them, for within them lie the secrets that will shape tomorrow. Let curiosity be your compass, perseverance your sail, and wonder your guiding star. Seek not only to gather knowledge but to give it life, to share it, to build upon it, as Sanger did when he mapped the very script of creation.

Practical action lies before you: when faced with study, research, or the pursuit of any truth, take it up with the spirit of an adventurer. Do not shrink from the challenge of what you do not know, but step forward into it with courage. Read, experiment, question, and create, remembering that every great discovery once lived in the mind of someone who dared to voyage into the unknown.

Thus let Sanger’s words echo across time: “It is like a voyage of discovery into unknown lands, seeking not for new territory but for new knowledge. It should appeal to those with a good sense of adventure.” May you take them not as mere metaphor, but as a call to live boldly. For the world does not need more conquerors of land, but more voyagers of truth, whose sails are set for the vast oceans of knowledge, and whose hearts burn with the fire of discovery.