5 ms·

> They usually talk of standing on the shoulders of giants Hah, you think Isaac Newton wasn't an egomaniac?

• dinkumthinkum 17y ago
  Where did I say that? Out of what dime novel did you learn about logic? Great scientists usually do talk of standing on the shoulders of giant and exhibit humility. Simply because I used a phrase that has been attributed to Newton does not mean that I am referring to or only to Newton or that I am naive about him. If you want to debate me that all great scientists really do go around saying "Look at me I'm so great; I'm the most important working scientist of the age" then I would love to have that discussion. However, I doubt that is the case as you are simply presumptuous and want to make snide little comments because you some little factoid about Newton that, by the way, most readers of HN probably know this too. "Hah, you aren't special."
  • WilliamLP 17y ago
    > If you want to debate me that all great scientists really do go around saying "Look at me I'm so great; I'm the most important working scientist of the age" I really think most of the really great scientists have consistently _thought_ that to some degree. Some of them have been better or worse at internalizing, and had different degrees of political sensibility.