Development of Western science is based on two great achievements: the invention of the formal logical system (in Euclidean geometry) by the Greek philosophers, and the discovery of the possibility to find out causal relationships by systematic experiment (during the Renaissance). In my opinion, one has not to be astonished that the Chinese sages have not made these steps. The astonishing thing is that these discoveries were made at all.
Interpretation
Einstein highlights the significant historical achievements in Western science and expresses astonishment at the mere fact these discoveries were made.
In this quote, Albert Einstein reflects on the foundational contributions to Western science, specifically pointing out the importance of formal logic introduced by Greek philosophers and the Renaissance's emphasis on systematic experimentation to understand causal relationships. He suggests that while we might expect other cultures, like the Chinese sages, to have also made these developments, it is truly remarkable that the Western world accomplished these milestones in the first place, emphasizing the challenges and the uniqueness of these scientific breakthroughs.
In practice
This quote can be used in a science class to discuss the history of scientific thought.
I cannot then believe in this concept of an anthropomorphic God who has the powers of interfering with these natural laws. As I said before, the most beautiful and most profound religious emotion that we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. And this mysticality is the power of all true science.
If I would follow your advice and Jesus could perceive it, he, as a Jewish teacher, surely would not approve of such behavior.
I want to know all Gods thoughts; all the rest are just details.
In the middle of adversity there is great opportunity.
I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.
To me the worst thing seems to be a school principally to work with methods of fear, force and artificial authority. Such treatment destroys the sound sentiments, the sincerity and the self-confidence of pupils and produces a subservient subject.
Fudging the data in any way whatsoever is quite literally a sin against the holy ghost of science. I'm not religious, but I put it that way because I feel so strongly. It's the one thing you do not ever do. You've got to have standards.
The historian of science may be tempted to exclaim that when paradigms change, the world itself changes with them.
While it is quite reasonable for scientists to be skeptical of new ideas that do not fit within the accepted realm of scientific knowledge, the best science often emerges from situations where results carefully obtained do not fit within the accepted paradigms.
The thing I'm most interested in is the nervous system. How do brains grow? How do genes build complicated nervous systems?
And what I wanted to do was, I wanted to explore problems and areas where we didn't have answers. In fact, where we didn't even know the right questions to ask.
It was basic research in the photoelectric field-in the photoelectric effect that would one day lead to solar panels. It was basic research in physics that would eventually produce the CAT scan. The calculations of today's GPS satellites are based on the equations that Einstein put to paper more than a century ago.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.