Facts are the Enemy of Truth—Reflections on Serendipitous Discovery and Unforeseen Developments in Asymmetric Catalysis

摘要

The title of this Essay, "Facts are the Enemy of Truth", which is a line spoken by Don Quixote, reflects my view after 50 years of study in chemistry. In various scientific fields, researchers unearth a broad range of facts, yet most of these are far from the truth. Many findings and postulates are not universally true because they are rooted in very limited conditions, while in reality the scientific universe is limitless. A large body of facts approaches the truth only when it is systematically and thoughtfully arranged.