Two rubrics in startling absence, it seems, in most policy discourse and governance.

From Richard Feynman's 1964 Messenger Lectures series, The Character of Physical Law, delivered at Cornell University.

In general we look for a new law by the following process. First we guess it. Then we compute the consequences of the guess to see what would be implied if this law that we guessed is right. Then we compare the result of the computation to nature, with experiment or experience, compare it directly with observation, to see if it works. If it disagrees with experiment it is wrong. In that simple statement is the key to science. It does not make any difference how beautiful your guess is. It does not make any difference how smart you are, who made the guess, or what his name is – if it disagrees with experiment it is wrong. That is all there is to it.

From 1974 Caltech commencement address and later published in Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. So you have to be very careful about that. After you’ve not fooled yourself, it’s easy not to fool other scientists.

Two rubrics in startling absence, it seems, in most policy discourse and governance.