Science has everything to say about what is possible. Science has nothing to say about what is permissible.

Krauthammer draws a sharp boundary between descriptive knowledge and moral judgment. Science, in his framing, is uniquely powerful at mapping the realm of the feasible—what can be done given nature’s laws and technological capacity. But it cannot, by its own methods, supply the ethical premises needed to decide what ought to be done. The quote is often invoked in debates over biotechnology, medicine, and public policy (e.g., genetic engineering, end-of-life decisions), where technical capability can outpace moral consensus. Its significance lies in warning against “scientism”: treating scientific authority as sufficient to settle questions that are ultimately normative and political.