"Wilson seems to have thought the engineers of this accelerator, and the scientists using it to study nature, were like—or as important as—artists." This impli

"Wilson seems to have thought the engineers of this accelerator, and the scientists using it to study nature, were like—or as important as—artists." This implies, to me, that the author seems to have an almost-classist regard for artists (however he may define the term.) We certainly need visionaries in a variety of disciplines. Encouraging visionaries is one thing that "makes [our country] worth defending." Why unnecessarily burden visionaries with pigeonholes not of their choosing? Certainly enlighten them as to their available paths, their strengths ... but please don't discourage someone from being a visionary engineer by declaring that they'll never be as 'important' as an artist.