Science means simply the aggregate of all the recipes that are always successful. All the rest is literature.

Summary

This quote by Paul Valéry suggests that science is comprised of proven and reliable methodologies or "recipes" that consistently achieve successful results. In other words, science is characterized by its empirical and evidence-based approach. Valéry suggests that anything beyond this is merely literature, implying that other ideas or theories lacking scientific validation may be imaginative or creative, but they do not hold the same level of veracity or legitimacy as scientific knowledge. The quote emphasizes the importance of empirical observation and reproducibility as defining features of scientific inquiry.

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