# Scientific Method Questions Nature Through Experiment by Joseph Traub > “The Greeks believed we could understand the world rationally. But the scientific method requires that we ask questions of nature by experimentation. This has led to the science and technology that has transformed the world.” > **— Joseph Traub**, *1999 Edge Annual Question, response passage* ## Sources and Context - **Direct publication and locator:** [Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University and External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute — Joseph Traub](https://www.edge.org/response-detail/10490) — 1999 Annual Question response, the full representative extract. - **Exact original excerpt:** “The Greeks believed we could understand the world rationally. But the scientific method requires that we ask questions of nature by experimentation. This has led to the science and technology that has transformed the world.” - **Context and editing:** The three contiguous sentences distinguish rational inquiry from experimental method in Traub’s retrospective account. The poster is the complete archived sentence or passage. - **Local Edge archive:** [[research/Edge 1999 Full Quotation Curation|Edge 1999 Full Quotation Curation]], response EDGE1999-093. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Edge|Edge]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Information Persistence in Complex Systems|Information Persistence in Complex Systems]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Greatest Transformation in Human History|The Greatest Transformation in Human History]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Science Ecosystem|Science Ecosystem]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Science Ecosystem|Science Ecosystem]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “The Greeks believed we could understand the world rationally. But the scientific method requires that we ask questions of nature by experimentation. This has led to the science and technology that has transformed the world.” — Joseph Traub, 1999 Edge Annual Question, response passage https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-joseph-traub-scientific-method-questions-nature-through-experiment ```