Succeeding in Science
It’s the birthday of American biophysicist James Watson (on left), of Watson/Crick fame, discoverers of the double-helix DNA molecule in 1953. In a book on the subject, Watson noted: “To succeed in science, you have to avoid dumb people […] you must always turn to people who are brighter than yourself.”
LOL; an idea that is most certainly not lost on me. In fact, it’s the reason that my books on renewable energy/sustainability are based on interviews with subject-matter experts. On a good day, I may be bright enough to ask decent questions, but I certainly don’t have the background to answer them.
I do not understand how the double helix was figured out. Nor do I understand how Einstein derived the formula E = MC**2. It seems that a tiny percentage of people in the world have an uncanny ability to figure out and understand things that are beyond the capability of the vast majority of us.