In my view, we can categorize scientists into two broad types: technician scientists, who focus on refining and perfecting existing theories, and creative scientists, who make generational leaps forward with groundbreaking ideas. No theory is ever 100% correct—each is simply an attempt to better explain a phenomenon in a way that’s useful to us.
Take Newton, for example. His theory of gravity was revolutionary, introducing concepts no one had thought of before—it was a generational achievement. But then Einstein came along, asking why objects with mass attract one another. Newton’s equations could predict gravitational forces accurately, but they didn’t explain the underlying cause. Einstein’s theory of relativity made a creative leap, adding a new dimension by introducing space-time as part of the explanation. It provided a more accurate theoretical representation of gravity and broadened our understanding of mass and space-time, marking yet another generational leap.
Then we have Oppenheimer, who refined existing theories in physics to develop the atomic bomb. While his work was groundbreaking, it was more a refinement of known principles rather than a creative leap like Einstein’s. I would classify Oppenheimer as more of a “technician scientist” than a “creative” one, although I defer to experts in physics, as it’s not my field.
Regarding your article, I really enjoyed it. On the topic of the “Tiger in my house” question, the answer depends on how we define “tiger.” If you mean a living, biological tiger, the answer is clearly no. But if you mean any type of tiger, such as a toy tiger, then the answer could be yes. This same creative reasoning can apply to the question about water in the fridge. Even if there’s no glass of water, the air in the fridge likely contains humidity, meaning there’s always some amount of water present.
Lastly, regarding the diagram with lines, curves, and points: one creative way to introduce ambiguity into this solidly two-dimensional example is by adding more dimensions. In a strictly two-dimensional projection, the relationships between points and lines as stated hold true. However, if a third spatial dimension or a fourth dimension (such as time) is introduced, the axioms that govern the two-dimensional model might no longer apply. For example, the rule that exactly one line passes through two points could be violated in a three-dimensional space, where two points might lie on different planes. Therefore, while the statements about the model are accurate within the context of two-dimensional space, they may no longer hold when additional dimensions are considered.
Your article is a great read!
In my view, we can categorize scientists into two broad types: technician scientists, who focus on refining and perfecting existing theories, and creative scientists, who make generational leaps forward with groundbreaking ideas. No theory is ever 100% correct—each is simply an attempt to better explain a phenomenon in a way that’s useful to us.
Take Newton, for example. His theory of gravity was revolutionary, introducing concepts no one had thought of before—it was a generational achievement. But then Einstein came along, asking why objects with mass attract one another. Newton’s equations could predict gravitational forces accurately, but they didn’t explain the underlying cause. Einstein’s theory of relativity made a creative leap, adding a new dimension by introducing space-time as part of the explanation. It provided a more accurate theoretical representation of gravity and broadened our understanding of mass and space-time, marking yet another generational leap.
Then we have Oppenheimer, who refined existing theories in physics to develop the atomic bomb. While his work was groundbreaking, it was more a refinement of known principles rather than a creative leap like Einstein’s. I would classify Oppenheimer as more of a “technician scientist” than a “creative” one, although I defer to experts in physics, as it’s not my field.
Regarding your article, I really enjoyed it. On the topic of the “Tiger in my house” question, the answer depends on how we define “tiger.” If you mean a living, biological tiger, the answer is clearly no. But if you mean any type of tiger, such as a toy tiger, then the answer could be yes. This same creative reasoning can apply to the question about water in the fridge. Even if there’s no glass of water, the air in the fridge likely contains humidity, meaning there’s always some amount of water present.
Lastly, regarding the diagram with lines, curves, and points: one creative way to introduce ambiguity into this solidly two-dimensional example is by adding more dimensions. In a strictly two-dimensional projection, the relationships between points and lines as stated hold true. However, if a third spatial dimension or a fourth dimension (such as time) is introduced, the axioms that govern the two-dimensional model might no longer apply. For example, the rule that exactly one line passes through two points could be violated in a three-dimensional space, where two points might lie on different planes. Therefore, while the statements about the model are accurate within the context of two-dimensional space, they may no longer hold when additional dimensions are considered.