Isaac Newton famously said, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." What does this statement imply about the nature of scientific progress?
Options
New discoveries are always made by one brilliant person working alone.
Scientific progress is made by building upon the knowledge and discoveries of past scientists.
Ancient scientific theories are always superior to modern ones.
Scientists only work on problems that have already been solved.
Explanation
Newton's quote highlights that scientific progress is a collaborative and cumulative effort. Each new discovery often relies on the foundational work, theories, and experiments of previous scientists. Scientists don't start from scratch; they build upon the "shoulders" of those who came before them, incrementally advancing human knowledge.