Of Known Unknowns and Unobserved Knowns

Two centuries ago, the pioneers of modern empirical research revolutionized Earth science by treating nature as a dynamic, interconnected system—one best understood not through hypotheses alone, but through systematic observation and measurement. "Nature does not answer questions we have not yet asked," as Alexander von Humboldt observed, "it shows us phenomena we must first learn to see as questions."

Yet science today often prioritizes hypothesis-driven research, leaving little room for the unexpected. This lecture explores the tension between discovery and prediction in glaciology, where some of the transformations have emerged not from testing hypotheses, but from exploration, curiosity, and serendipity.

From overlooked data to phenomena no one anticipated, glaciology’s future depends on our willingness to reclaim discovery science—not as a replacement for hypothesis testing, but as its essential counterpart. As Aldous Huxley reminds us, "There are things known and things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." To address todays and future challenges in Earth science, we must keep those doors open.