science

Nullius in verba

Nullius in verba is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nullius in verba rather than just read about it. In short: Nullius in verba (Latin for "no one's words" or "take nobody's word for it") is the motto of the Royal Society. John Evelyn and other fellows of the Royal Society chose the motto soon after the Society's founding in 1660.

Key takeaways

Nullius in verba belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nullius in verba to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nullius in verba from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nullius in verba (Latin for "no one's words" or "take nobody's word for it") is the motto of the Royal Society. John Evelyn and other fellows of the Royal Society chose the motto soon after the Society's founding in 1660.

Meaning and etymology The Royal Society website says that the motto is "an expression of the determination of Fellows to withstand the domination of authority and to verify all statements by an appeal to facts determined by experiment." The phrase comes from Horace's Epistle (Book I, Epistle I) to his benefactor Maecenas, where he claims not to be devoted to any particular sect but is rather an eclectic by nature. The motto was extracted from the first of two hexameters, as indicated in bold:

Nullius addictus iurare in verba magistri, – quo me cumque rapit tempestas, deferor hospes. (Not bound to swear by the words of a master; where the storm drives me I turn in for shelter.)

The minor planet known as 11059 Nulliusinverba in the asteroid belt is named after the expression. The phrase is also widely used and cited elsewhere.

References

External links

Media related to Nullius in verba at Wikimedia Commons

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nullius in verba

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nullius in verba claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nullius in verba before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nullius in verba ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nullius in verba

In research: Nullius in verba appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nullius in verba in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nullius in verba is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics History of the Royal Society, Horace, Latin mottos, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nullius in verba outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nullius in verba in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nullius in verba means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nullius in verba out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nullius in verba in simple terms?

Why does Nullius in verba matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nullius in verba?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nullius in verba.