You have to speculate to accumulate

Or how about:

1. To meditate on a subject; reflect.

I don't think that wise people avoid thinking upon subjects that may affect them. Indeed, if Buckle has spent more time reflecting on the benefits of, rather than resisting, modernisation he might not have been forced out of "The Times".

 

2. To engage in a course of reasoning often based on inconclusive evidence.

 

I suspect they've FAR prefer to have conclusive evidence to contemplate than inconclusive evidence. However, that isn't available.