Scepticism is as important for a good journalist as it is for a good scientist.
Freeman DysonRead
We need to get across the excitement and creativity of science. That it isn't just a list of facts that have already been discovered - but a process, a creative project, that you are generating ideas, testing them and looking for evidence.
Interpretation
Science is an engaging and creative endeavor rather than just memorizing facts.
This quote emphasizes that science is not merely a collection of known facts, but rather a dynamic and imaginative process where individuals generate hypotheses, test their ideas, and seek evidence. It highlights the importance of fostering excitement and creativity in scientific endeavors, encouraging a mindset that appreciates the exploratory nature of scientific inquiry.
In practice
During a school assembly to inspire students about science careers.
Scepticism is as important for a good journalist as it is for a good scientist.
The math of quantum mechanics and the math of general relativity, when they confront one another, they are ferocious antagonists and the equations don't work.
Even if 'going retrograde' or 'moving into Aquarius' were real phenomena, something that planets actually do, what influence could they possibly have on human events? A planet is so far away that its gravitational pull on a new-born baby would be swamped by the gravitational pull of the doctor's paunch.
Many different planets are many different distances from their host star; we find ourselves at this distance because if we were closer or farther away, the temperature would be hotter or colder, eliminating liquid water, an essential ingredient for our survival.
I think the reason people are dealing with science less well now than 50 years ago is that it has become so complicated.
But let us remember that we are dealing with infinities and indivisibles both of which transcend our finite understanding, the former on account of their magnitude, the latter because of their smallness.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.