2 ms·

I really disagree with the premise of the article. Famously, Feynman stated that “Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts”. When his sweetheart

I really disagree with the premise of the article. Famously, Feynman stated that “Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts”. When his sweetheart Arlene Greenbaum became sick, he found himself shuttered away, studying her ailment with as much intensity as he could spare. Eventually he thought, based on the evidence, that it was most probably tuberculosis. But this was, at the time, a common disease. He reasoned that her doctors (of which there were many) would have known if it was. So he discounted his own diagnosis, and placed his faith in the opinion of the experts, who, if I recall correctly, believed it to be some sort of rare cancer. But it was tuberculosis. She died from it. Doing science isn't about applying some particular professional method. Fundamentally it's about using everything at your disposal to find out the truth of things. So called non-scientists can do that, if only they try. As an ethos, science, at least as it's seen by some, couldn't be more anti-expertise.

dhbradshaw 18y ago
>Fundamentally it's about using everything at your disposal to find out the truth of things. Nice statement. Also, great story. It's not just Feynman either. I've seen the same thing (family members getting the diagnosis before doctors because they care more and take the time to get it right) several times in my own family. As a graduate student I find myself continually astonished by the fact that narrow expertise comes quickly. That is, if you start out with a specific question it will not take too long before you understand it better than your adviser and then better than anyone you can find and finally better than anyone in the world, as far as you can discern. Basically, the world is so broad that if you specialize on a specific, well formed question (as Feynman did) you can probably become a world expert on that question if you put in the time and are actually looking to learn.

dhbradshaw 18y ago

>Fundamentally it's about using everything at your disposal to find out the truth of things. Nice statement. Also, great story. It's not just Feynman either. I've seen the same thing (family members getting the diagnosis before doctors because they care more and take the time to get it right) several times in my own family. As a graduate student I find myself continually astonished by the fact that narrow expertise comes quickly. That is, if you start out with a specific question it will not take too long before you understand it better than your adviser and then better than anyone you can find and finally better than anyone in the world, as far as you can discern. Basically, the world is so broad that if you specialize on a specific, well formed question (as Feynman did) you can probably become a world expert on that question if you put in the time and are actually looking to learn.