Scientist's Prophetic Records

Author: Leslie Howarth
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-12-01
Features: In the long journey of exploring truth, the feeling of sensing but being unable to express, the intense longing, the alternating state of confidence and doubt, until the sudden enlightenment in the end—this can only be known to those who have experienced it firsthand. —Albert Einstein
Ordinary adults are never perplexed by the issues of space and time. In their view, the questions they should have considered in childhood have already been pondered, while I am the opposite—I only became curious about space and time after becoming an adult. —Albert Einstein
Scientists are often perceived as a taciturn and inarticulate group of people. If they say something, it is believed to be highly profound. This perception leads scientists to become even more taciturn, and people to move farther away from scientists. However, this is a misconception. Harvard University professor Stephen Jay Gould once shattered this illusion: “The increasing use of jargon in specialized fields; I believe this stems from fear rather than arrogance. Most young scholars resort to jargon because they fear that their mentors or superiors will deem them unserious if they don’t use it.” The crux of the matter lies here: it is not that scientists cannot speak, but rather that they are not given the opportunity to do so. The purpose of this book is to provide a platform for scientists to freely express their views on life, the world, and the future. These quotations are sharp-witted and insightful. By carefully reading them, you may gain a deeper understanding of scientists. For the general public, science is a mysterious endeavor, only capable of being undertaken or by experts who have spent considerable time honing their skills in their respective fields. People’s understanding of science comes solely from the media, which always exaggerates. The Scientist’s Proverbial Record cannot correct the inevitable distortions of the media, but to some extent, it can at least correct the misconceptions about the actual progress of science. The wisdom of Darwin, Einstein, Feynman, Galileo, Marie Curie, and other scientists.