Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful.Empirical Model-Building and Response Surfaces (1987), co-authored with Norman R. Draper, p. 424, ISBN 0471810339Variants:Remember that all models are wrong; the practical question is how wrong do they have to be to not be useful.Empirical Model-Building by Box and Draper, p. 74ALL MODELS ARE WRONG BUT SOME ARE USEFULSection heading, page 2 of Box's paper, "Robustness in the Strategy of Scientific Model Building" (May 1979) in Robustness in Statistics: Proceedings of a Workshop (1979) edited by RL Launer and GN WilkinsonAll models are false but some models are useful.We have a large reservoir of engineers (and scientists) with a vast background of engineering know how. They need to learn statistical methods that can tap into the knowledge. Statistics used as a catalyst to engineering creation will, I believe, always result in the fastest and most economical progressStatement of 1992, quoted in Introduction to Statistical Experimental DesignWhat is it? Why and Where is it Useful? (2002) Johan Trygg & Svante Wold