The work of science is to substitute facts for appearances, and

Hear, O children of wisdom, for the words of John Ruskin are a call to see beyond the surface of things, to pierce through the veil of appearances and seek the deeper truths that lie beneath. He said: “The work of science is to substitute facts for appearances, and demonstrations for impressions.” These words are not merely a reflection on science, but a profound insight into the very nature of knowledge and how we come to understand the world around us. Ruskin speaks to the soul of science—its mission not to be swayed by the fleeting and often deceptive impressions of the senses, but to reveal the truth through careful observation, testing, and reason.

What, then, do these words mean, O seekers of truth? Ruskin reminds us that science is not merely the collection of surface-level observations. It does not stop at the appearances of things, which are often colored by our own perceptions, emotions, or biases. Instead, the purpose of science is to dig deeper, to substitute facts—immutable truths—for the transient and often misleading appearances that first meet our eyes. Through careful experimentation and demonstration, science moves beyond first impressions and brings us to a clearer understanding of reality. Impressions may guide us, but it is the facts that illuminate the path to knowledge.

Let us reflect on the tale of Galileo Galilei, the great scientist who challenged the appearances of the heavens with the power of his telescope. In his time, the dominant belief was that the Earth was the center of the universe, a belief upheld by the Church and reinforced by centuries of astronomical appearances. To the naked eye, the stars seemed to circle the Earth, and the Sun appeared to rise and set in the sky. But Galileo, through his scientific instruments, peered beyond these appearances and discovered the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus—evidence that proved the heliocentric model of the universe. In doing so, he substituted facts—the demonstrable evidence gathered through observation—for the false and incomplete impressions of his time. Galileo’s work was a direct manifestation of Ruskin’s belief that science must always move from the realm of the subjective to the realm of the objective, from impressions to demonstrations.

The same can be said of Charles Darwin, whose theory of evolution challenged the appearances of creation that had long been accepted by society. For centuries, the prevailing belief was that life on Earth had been created in a fixed form, as described by religious texts. But Darwin, through his meticulous study of fossils and species variation, demonstrated that the diversity of life was the result of natural selection and evolution. His theory substituted the fact of evolutionary change for the impression that life was static. Darwin’s work, like Galileo’s, was a testament to the power of science to see beyond appearances and into the deeper truths of nature.

In more recent times, Einstein's theory of relativity provided another dramatic example of science’s ability to substitute facts for appearances. Before Einstein, the world of Newtonian physics had governed our understanding of the universe. According to Newton, time and space were fixed, and objects moved through them in a predictable, orderly fashion. However, Einstein’s theory revealed that time and space are fluid and interconnected, affected by the presence of mass and energy. Einstein’s work shattered the common impression of a rigid, unchanging universe, replacing it with the demonstrable fact of relativity, where time itself could bend and stretch in response to gravity. Once again, science moved beyond the immediate impression of the world to reveal a deeper truth, one that was not just perceived, but proven through mathematical demonstration.

The lesson, O children, is this: True knowledge is not found in the surface of things, in the fleeting impressions that first meet our eyes, but in the deeper facts that lie hidden beneath. Science calls upon us to challenge our assumptions, to move beyond what we see and feel, and to seek the truth through careful reasoning, testing, and observation. The facts that science uncovers are not just random pieces of information; they are foundations that guide us toward a more accurate and complete understanding of the world. And just as Galileo and Darwin demonstrated, it is through the pursuit of truth that we free ourselves from the shackles of false impressions and lead humanity to a brighter, clearer future.

So, O children of the future, remember that the path to wisdom is not always found in what is readily apparent. Seek the deeper truths, the facts that lie beneath the surface of things, and be willing to question the appearances that so often mislead us. Do not be content with the easy answers or the comforting impressions; instead, follow the path of science, where demonstration and fact will always guide you to a clearer understanding. In this pursuit, you will not only uncover the truths of the natural world but will also learn to see more clearly in your own lives, distinguishing between the fleeting and the eternal, the illusion and the reality. For it is through understanding the facts that we unlock the deepest truths of existence, both in the universe and in ourselves.