It is an exciting time to be a scientist

If the 19th century was the one of chemistry, and the 20th century was the one of physics, then the 21st century ought to be the one of biology. The old idea advanced that all knowledge had been achieved is simply silly.

The common citizen should enjoy, and be aware, of the various conflicts and methods being promoted. One conflict is between the theorists and the observers. Another idea is the continuing physics pursuit of a “theory of everything”. The attention gainer is when Newtonian gravity formulas rolled up turned out to be a subset of Einstein’s formulas, and all it took was simple calculus to show it. Perhaps a similar subset link between gravity and magnetism is just around the corner? And 400 years ago we had fantastic machines to describe the motions of the celestial bodies. The common citizen should recognize the old idea that predictive power accuracy is different from why things happen.

The common citizen should also think about two trends going on in the science world today. One is the influence of politics in grant money to do research that the politicians want and will fund, albeit with expected outcomes. The other trend has to do with computers and their power to calculate. The computer types have two ways to go. One is the thrifty and out of popularity dynamic method. The other is the discrete and now popular method of making the entire world and atmosphere into as many small pieces as the computer power will stand, and then apply the scientist’s formulas, and let it run. This course seems to be winning in the science world today as evidenced by the politicians being willing to accept computer runs vice observations of underground atomic tests of future bombs.

That the first Polaris missile warheads would not have worked if a war had started (1960’s technology) makes this citizen a little nervous about the confidence of our politicians and scientists these days. And those playing God with complex natural systems like Yellowstone Park, have, by evidence, done more harm than good. Bottom line, playing God with Mother Nature is still a dangerous business for both the intended and those intending.

Yet things are still exciting. Big government research funding still does not suppress individual ideas and research and promotion of their ideas, too. That is why things are still exciting.