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The Eternal Thing About Science
Sep. 6th, 2011 08:50 pmWhile I was watching the new Symphony of Science video, I noticed that I recognized all the scientists and responded with pleasure as each of them appeared: Oh look it's Brian Cox! There's Feynman! It was like watching my favorite sports team, or getting excited when my friend comes on stage in a play.
Thing is, I've not only never met these people, but I respond the same way when I see handwritten notes by Boyle or Hooke, people who died centuries ago. They're my friends. Even Newton, who I also hate. Even, to some extent, people like von Braun.
I respond to scientists differently than I respond to all other figures in history, because we are trying to investigate the same universe and using the same tools. I use laws written by John Adams and James Madison, but when they made those laws different countries existed and the idea of a citizen was different, and the compromises they could accept were not always the same compromises I can accept. Whereas when I use Boyle's law I observe the exact same thing Boyle observed. I can not only draw a line from me to him: I am him.
Scientists can be backstabbers. Scientists can make sloppy observations. Scientists can use science to kill lots of people. Scientists are not automatically the good guys. But their scientific truths are also my scientific truths, no matter when or where we both are.
Thing is, I've not only never met these people, but I respond the same way when I see handwritten notes by Boyle or Hooke, people who died centuries ago. They're my friends. Even Newton, who I also hate. Even, to some extent, people like von Braun.
I respond to scientists differently than I respond to all other figures in history, because we are trying to investigate the same universe and using the same tools. I use laws written by John Adams and James Madison, but when they made those laws different countries existed and the idea of a citizen was different, and the compromises they could accept were not always the same compromises I can accept. Whereas when I use Boyle's law I observe the exact same thing Boyle observed. I can not only draw a line from me to him: I am him.
Scientists can be backstabbers. Scientists can make sloppy observations. Scientists can use science to kill lots of people. Scientists are not automatically the good guys. But their scientific truths are also my scientific truths, no matter when or where we both are.
