I consider my contributions to scientific fact far less important than my attempts to awaken an emotional response to the world of nature.
In plain words
Sparking wonder about nature matters more than just listing facts.
Where these words come from
- 55% sureLots of sources credit Rachel Carson with this, and they agree with each other. The book or the speech it first came from hasn't turned up yet.
- Personal letter, circa 1957 (dated by the citing source, likely collected in Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman). Quoted verbatim by a literary essay that dates the letter; not independently confirmed, so held at likely.
- personal letter to Dorothy Freeman
- 1957 · private correspondence, quoted in a literary essay
