...Both these ideas of science are wrong and dangerous. The personality of science is neither that of a chivalrous knight nor that of a pitiless juggernaut. What, then, is science? Science is a golem.
A golem is a creature of Jewish mythology. It is a humanoid made by man from clay and water, with incantations and spells. It is powerful. It grows a little more powerful every day. It will follow orders, do your work, and protect you from the ever threatening enemy. But it is clumsy and dangerous. Without control, a golem may destroy its masters with its flailing vigour.
The idea of a golem takes on different connotations in different legends. In some the golem is terrifyingly evil, but there is a more homely tradition: in the Yiddish brought from the East European ghetto, a golem (pronounced ‘goilem’ in that dialect), is a metaphor...
A golem (goh-lem) is a clay robot from Jewish folklore, constructed from dust and fire and water. It is brought to life by inscribing emet, Hebrew for “truth,” on its brow. Animated by truth, but lacking free will, a golem always does exactly what it is told. This is lucky, because the golem is incredibly powerful, able to withstand and accomplish more than its creators could. However, its obedience also brings danger, as careless instructions or unexpected events can turn a golem against its makers. Its abundance of power is matched by its lack of wisdom. In some versions of the golem legend, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel sought a way to defend the Jews of Prague. As in many parts of 16th century Central Europe, the Jews of Prague were persecuted. Using secret techniques from the Kabbalah, Rabbi Judah was able to build a golem, animate it with “truth,” and order it to defend the Jewish people of Prague. Not everyone agreed with Judah’s action, fearing unintended consequences of toying with the power of life. Ultimately Judah was forced to destroy the golem, as its combination of extraordinary power with clumsiness eventually led to innocent deaths. Wiping away one letter from the inscription emet to spell instead met, “death,” Rabbi Judah decommissioned the robot.
From https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/students/envs_5110/collins_the_golem.pdf, Introduction:
And similarly, from https://xcelab.net/rmpubs/sr2/statisticalrethinking2_chapters1and2.pdf, Chapter 1 (bolding is mine):