Alec Guinness in The Man in the White Suit-arguably the best ever screen depiction of a scientist.
Posted on 08/20/2004 9:43:04 AM PDT by RightWingAtheist
LOVE: I particularly admired Einstein’s deep devotion to, and ability to focus on, science itself and his recognition that the personalities of scientists are irrelevant to understanding science. Most important, in light of recent trends in physics, he understood the place of mathematics in science as a tool, not an end in itself. He was always motivated by physical questions and searching for experimental tests, even as he explored new mathematics. In particular, he didn’t confuse mathematical elegance with physical significance.
HATE: I find myself frustrated at Einstein’s constant and inappropriate use of the term “God,” when he really meant something else. As a result, he opened the door for generations of individuals to misrepresent his ideas.
LAWRENCE KRAUSS, chairman, department of physics,
Case Western Reserve University
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Einstein—his mind and his manner—became the symbol of science to millions of people throughout the world. In an era of wrenching human struggle under the heels of military might and the horrors of World War I, the experimental proof of the correctness of Einstein’s notion of gravity and curved space showed the world that there were fundamental truths to be learned about nature and that the human mind and spirit could rise above all. Einstein’s manner, his grandfatherly warmth, gave science, and physics in particular, a human side, which we have lost over the century.
What still drives me crazy about Einstein is that he did not participate in the scientific revolution he helped launch. His successful theory of the photoelectric effect was a key step in establishing the correctness of quantum mechanics. He seemed to consider working out the details of the atom and its nucleus more as busywork than as fundamental science.
NEAL LANE, former director, the National Science Foundation;
professor of physics and astronomy, Rice University
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(Excerpt) Read more at discover.com ...
Alec Guinness in The Man in the White Suit-arguably the best ever screen depiction of a scientist.
Alec Guinness in The Man in the White Suit-arguably the best ever screen depiction of a scientist.
God rest his soul.
Oops!
Sorry, I didn't mean to bring him into this conversation.
God:
(Scratches head.)
BELIEVE IN ME, DAMMIT!!!
(God strikes "rightwingatheist" with thunderbolt.)
Hey, isn't it Zeus who does that?
Man, I need to brush up on that whole Old Testament thing.
Alec. Guinness. Rocks. HARD.
That is all.
Returning you all to your normal FReeping channels...
Alec. Guinness. Rocks. HARD.
That is all.
Returning you all to your normal FReeping channels...
Alec Guinness:
Quite.
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