3 ms·

I forget the actual quote, but there is a saying that if an old esteemed scientist says something is possible, they are almost certainly right. If they say some

I forget the actual quote, but there is a saying that if an old esteemed scientist says something is possible, they are almost certainly right. If they say something is impossible, they may be wrong.

ghaff 3y ago
Don’t know if it’s the original source but Arthur C. Clarke had an even more definitive quote along those lines.
lamontcg 3y ago
You'll see a bunch of old scientists saying a legitimate revolutionary breakthrough is bullshit, but you didn't see the other 99 times they called bullshit correctly.
- Evidlo 3y ago
  That's why it's called LK-99
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    One to go then.
  - jcranmer 3y ago
    Actually, the 99 apparently comes from its year of discovery, 1999. No, I don't know why it took over two decades for their discoverers to figure out it was a room-temperature superconductor.
iancmceachern 3y ago
"1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. 2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible. 3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." A. C. Clark I particularly love #3
the-dude 3y ago
Related : "Science progresses one funeral at a time" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck%27s_principle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck%27s_principle