[extropy-chat] Standing on Giants

[nvitamore at austin.rr.com]

From: Robin Hanson rhanson at gmu.edu

>At 02:14 AM 8/22/2005, Brett Paatsch wrote:

>>I liked the caption on James blog "If I have seen further than
>>others it is by stepping on the toes of giants".

>From "The Newtonian Moment Arrives for Caltech Historian", Caltech News
>39(2):2,8,9, 2005, arrived in my mail Saturday:

>   For centuries people have interpreted this as evidence of Newton's
>   humility, says [Caltech's Mordechai] Feingold.  "Only problem is," he
>   says, "Hooke was somewhat deformed.  So if you tell a hunchback you
>   stood on the shoulders of giants, it's not a compliment.  It's a dig.

>   "Newton was arrogant," says Feingold, "but it was because he new he
>   was the purveyor of the truth in so many domains that he was unwilling
>   to unable to listen to any objections or criticism.  And he was
>   willing to defend his ideas nearly to the end.  He lived a long time
>   and was basically able to bury his opposition."


This says it all. 

Natasha

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