The Scientist as Rebel The Scientist as Rebel (2006)(2006)

Freeman DysonFreeman Dyson

Fallon DanielsFallon Daniels

November 28, 2007November 28, 2007

SCE 570 SCE 570

““There is no such thing as a unique scientific vision, any more than there is a There is no such thing as a unique scientific vision, any more than there is a unique poetic vision. Science is a mosaic of partial and conflicting visions. unique poetic vision. Science is a mosaic of partial and conflicting visions. But there is one common element in these visions. The common element is But there is one common element in these visions. The common element is

rebellion against the restrictions imposed by the locally prevailing culture, rebellion against the restrictions imposed by the locally prevailing culture, Western or Eastern as the case may be.”Western or Eastern as the case may be.”

• ““Science is an art form not a philosophical method”Science is an art form not a philosophical method”

• ReductionismReductionism

• TechnologyTechnology

• WarWar

• ReligionReligion

• EthicsEthics

• FutureFuture

• ScientistsScientists

Who is Freeman Dyson?Who is Freeman Dyson?Born in EnglandBorn in EnglandWorked as a civilian scientist for the Worked as a civilian scientist for the Royal Air Force during World War IIRoyal Air Force during World War II1947 Cornell University graduate 1947 Cornell University graduate Professor of physics at the Institute for Professor of physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in PrincetonAdvanced Study in PrincetonAdvised the US governmentAdvised the US governmentWorked with Hans Bethe and Richard Worked with Hans Bethe and Richard Feynman, producing a user-friendly Feynman, producing a user-friendly way to calculate the behavior of atoms way to calculate the behavior of atoms and radiationand radiationWorked on nuclear reactors, solid Worked on nuclear reactors, solid state physics, ferromagnetism, state physics, ferromagnetism, astrophysics, and biology elegant to astrophysics, and biology elegant to mathematicsmathematicsFellow of the American Physical Fellow of the American Physical Sciences Sciences Fellow of Royal Society of London Fellow of Royal Society of London 2000 Awarded for Templeton Prize for 2000 Awarded for Templeton Prize for Progress in ReligionProgress in Religion

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Contemporary Issues in ScienceContemporary Issues in Science

War and PeaceWar and Peace

History of Science and ScientistsHistory of Science and Scientists

Personal and Philosophical EssaysPersonal and Philosophical Essays

Contemporary Issues in Science Contemporary Issues in Science

Scientist as Rebel Scientist as Rebel

Can science be ethicalCan science be ethical

Modern HereticModern Heretic

The Future Needs UsThe Future Needs Us

What a WorldWhat a World

Witness to a TragedyWitness to a Tragedy

Scientist as RebelScientist as Rebel

“ “ Science is not governed by the rules of Science is not governed by the rules of Western philosophy or Western methodology. Western philosophy or Western methodology. Science is an alliance of free spirits in all Science is an alliance of free spirits in all cultures rebelling against the local tyranny that cultures rebelling against the local tyranny that each culture imposes on its children” (4)each culture imposes on its children” (4)Teach science as a rebellion against poverty Teach science as a rebellion against poverty and ugliness and militarism and economic and ugliness and militarism and economic injusticeinjusticeScience flourishes best when it uses freely all Science flourishes best when it uses freely all the tools at hand, unconstrained by the tools at hand, unconstrained by preconceived notions of what science ought to preconceived notions of what science ought to be (17)be (17)

Can Science be Ethical?Can Science be Ethical?

Religion is equally strong if not stronger than Religion is equally strong if not stronger than sciencescienceRich conveniences making it harder for the Rich conveniences making it harder for the excluded to participate in the economic and excluded to participate in the economic and cultural life of the communitycultural life of the communityEthical progress is the only cure for the damage Ethical progress is the only cure for the damage done by scientific progress (26)done by scientific progress (26) Science is good when it provides necessities for the Science is good when it provides necessities for the

poorpoor Science works for evil when its affects to provide toys Science works for evil when its affects to provide toys

for the rich for the rich Filling the gap between the poor and technology Filling the gap between the poor and technology

Modern HereticModern Heretic

Thomas Gold (1946 Experiment on the Thomas Gold (1946 Experiment on the Ear)Ear) Ignorant outsider intruding into a field where Ignorant outsider intruding into a field where

he had no training and no credentials he had no training and no credentials ““When he is proved wrong, he concedes When he is proved wrong, he concedes

defeat with good humor. Science is no fun, defeat with good humor. Science is no fun, he says, if you are never wrong. His wrong he says, if you are never wrong. His wrong ideas are insignificant compared with his far ideas are insignificant compared with his far more important right ideas” (36)more important right ideas” (36)

The Future Needs UsThe Future Needs Us

Dangers of biotechnology in the 21Dangers of biotechnology in the 21stst Century similar to nuclear Century similar to nuclear technology of the 20technology of the 20thth century centuryBiological WeaponsBiological WeaponsPrecautionary Principle vs. OppositionPrecautionary Principle vs. Opposition

Precautionary Principle-Precautionary Principle- if there is any risk of a major disaster, no if there is any risk of a major disaster, no action should be permitted that increases the risk. I, as often happens, action should be permitted that increases the risk. I, as often happens, an action promises to bring substantial benefits together with some risk an action promises to bring substantial benefits together with some risk of a major disaster, no balancing of benefits against risks is to be of a major disaster, no balancing of benefits against risks is to be allowed. Any action carrying a risk of major disaster must be prohibited, allowed. Any action carrying a risk of major disaster must be prohibited, regardless of the costs of prohibition. regardless of the costs of prohibition.

Opposing views-Opposing views- risks are unavoidable, that no possible course of risks are unavoidable, that no possible course of action or inaction will eliminate risks, and that a prudent course of action action or inaction will eliminate risks, and that a prudent course of action must be based on a balancing of risks against benefits and costs. In must be based on a balancing of risks against benefits and costs. In particular, when any prohibition of dangerous science and technology is particular, when any prohibition of dangerous science and technology is contemplated, one of the costs that must be considered is the cost to contemplated, one of the costs that must be considered is the cost to human freedomhuman freedom

What a World!What a World!

Life is complicated and any theory that Life is complicated and any theory that attempts to describe its behavior in simple attempts to describe its behavior in simple terms is likely to be wrong (66)terms is likely to be wrong (66) Vaclav Smil Vaclav Smil The Earth’s Biosphere: Evolution, The Earth’s Biosphere: Evolution,

Dynamics, and ChangeDynamics, and Change John Ray John Ray History of PlantsHistory of Plants Vladimir Vernadsky Vladimir Vernadsky The BiosphereThe Biosphere

Witness to a TragedyWitness to a Tragedy

War and PeaceWar and Peace

Bombs and PotatoesBombs and Potatoes

GeneralsGenerals

RussiansRussians

PacifistsPacifists

The Race Is OverThe Race Is Over

The Force of Reason The Force of Reason

The Bitter EndThe Bitter End

GeneralsGenerals

Military power should never be confused Military power should never be confused with moral virtue, and military leaders with moral virtue, and military leaders should never be entrusted with weapons should never be entrusted with weapons of unlimited destruction (94)of unlimited destruction (94) Weapons of mass destructionWeapons of mass destruction

PacifistsPacifists

One who advocates the ethics of One who advocates the ethics of nonviolence as a program for a political nonviolence as a program for a political movement or for a governmentmovement or for a government

Ex. Quakers and abolition of slavery Ex. Quakers and abolition of slavery 1.1. Moral convictionMoral conviction

2.2. PatiencePatience

3.3. ObjectivityObjectivity

4.4. Willingness to compromiseWillingness to compromise Ghandi and pacifism attemptGhandi and pacifism attempt

The Race is OverThe Race is Over

Unilateral moves Unilateral moves

1980 Wake up period1980 Wake up period

Stockpile Study Stockpile Study Make sure that our weapons can be Make sure that our weapons can be

maintained with a maximum of professional maintained with a maximum of professional competence and a minimum of fuss and competence and a minimum of fuss and excitement, until in the fullness of time they no excitement, until in the fullness of time they no longer be considered necessary longer be considered necessary

History of Science and ScientistsHistory of Science and Scientists

Two Kinds of History Two Kinds of History Edward Teller’s MemoirsEdward Teller’s MemoirsIn praise of AmateursIn praise of AmateursA New NewtonianA New NewtonianClockwork ScienceClockwork ScienceThe World on a StringThe World on a StringOppenheimer as scientist, administrator, and poetOppenheimer as scientist, administrator, and poetSeeing the UnseenSeeing the UnseenThe Tragic Tale of a GeniusThe Tragic Tale of a GeniusWise Man Wise Man

Two Kinds of History Two Kinds of History Yuri Manin Yuri Manin Mathematics and PhysicsMathematics and Physics

Are we, or are we not, standing at the threshold of a new scientific revolution Are we, or are we not, standing at the threshold of a new scientific revolution comparable with the historic revolutions of the past?comparable with the historic revolutions of the past?

Science from the insideScience from the inside Science growing autonomously by the logical interplay of its own conceptsScience growing autonomously by the logical interplay of its own concepts Evidence from what scientist do to exchange methods and ideasEvidence from what scientist do to exchange methods and ideas Concerned with substanceConcerned with substance

Paul FormanPaul Forman Weimar Culture, Causality, and Quantum Theory, 1918-1927: Weimar Culture, Causality, and Quantum Theory, 1918-1927: Adaptation by German Physicists and Mathematicians to a Hostile Adaptation by German Physicists and Mathematicians to a Hostile Intellectual EnvironmentIntellectual Environment

Math and physics crisisMath and physics crisis Science from the outsideScience from the outside Responding to external social and political pressuresResponding to external social and political pressures Science evidence directed toward the general pubicScience evidence directed toward the general pubic Concerned with the rituals of scienceConcerned with the rituals of science

Evolutionary science v. Revolutionary scienceEvolutionary science v. Revolutionary science Menin’s idyllic gardenMenin’s idyllic garden

Edward Teller’s MemoirsEdward Teller’s Memoirs

In Praise of AmateursIn Praise of Amateurs

Amateurs rejuvenate science Amateurs rejuvenate science Is today a youthful science?Is today a youthful science?Timothy Ferris, amateur astronomer, Timothy Ferris, amateur astronomer, Seeing in the Dark: How Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers Are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth Backyard Stargazers Are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Perilfrom Interplanetary PerilBernhardt Schmidt’s telescope, German amateur astronomerBernhardt Schmidt’s telescope, German amateur astronomer Fritz Zwicky discoveriesFritz Zwicky discoveries

Galaxies have a universal tendency to congregate into clusters Galaxies have a universal tendency to congregate into clusters Visible mass of the galaxies is insufficient to account for the clusteringVisible mass of the galaxies is insufficient to account for the clusteringCalculated that the clusters must contain invisible mass that is about ten Calculated that the clusters must contain invisible mass that is about ten times larger than the visible mass times larger than the visible mass

““butterfly collectors”butterfly collectors” Bacon v. Descartes- transition of amateurs/ professionalsBacon v. Descartes- transition of amateurs/ professionals

1.1. Baconian, exploration Baconian, exploration 2.2. Cartesian, measurement/ quantitative theoryCartesian, measurement/ quantitative theory3.3. Mix, freedom to explore and explainMix, freedom to explore and explain

A New NewtonA New Newton

Clockwork ScienceClockwork Science

Henri Poincare v. Albert Einstein Henri Poincare v. Albert Einstein Temperament conservative vs. temperate Temperament conservative vs. temperate

revolutionaryrevolutionary

Thomas Kuhn vs. Peter Galison Thomas Kuhn vs. Peter Galison Kuhn’s Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolution Structure of Scientific Revolution (1962)(1962)

Paradigms- progress of science like a punctuated equilibriumParadigms- progress of science like a punctuated equilibriumTheoretical scienceTheoretical science

Galison’s Galison’s Image and Logic Image and Logic (1997)(1997)Tool driven scienceTool driven scienceExperimental scienceExperimental science

1905 Scientific Revolution driven by Kuhnian 1905 Scientific Revolution driven by Kuhnian thoughtthought

The World on a String The World on a String

Progress in science is built on wrong theoriesProgress in science is built on wrong theories ““It is better to be wrong than to be vague” (214)It is better to be wrong than to be vague” (214)

Themes of modern scienceThemes of modern science Historical path of observation and theoryHistorical path of observation and theory Style of thinkingStyle of thinking

Brian Greene Brian Greene The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of RealityTime, and the Texture of Reality Claims the end of fundamental science controversial Claims the end of fundamental science controversial

to Dysonto Dyson

Conservative vs. RevolutionaryConservative vs. RevolutionarySynthetic v. analyticSynthetic v. analytic

Oppenheimer as Scientist, Oppenheimer as Scientist, Administrator, and PoetAdministrator, and Poet

Seeing the Unseen Seeing the Unseen

John Cockcroft and John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton Ernest Walton

Big Machine PhysicsBig Machine Physics

Alan Lightman Alan Lightman Theoretical physicsTheoretical physics ““We are blind men, We are blind men,

imagining what we imagining what we don’t see” don’t see”

SpecializationSpecialization

The Tragic Tale of a GeniusThe Tragic Tale of a Genius

Wise ManWise ManRichard FeynmanRichard Feynman

1965 Nobel Prize 1965 Nobel Prize

Described quantum Described quantum physics using pictorial physics using pictorial diagrams rather than diagrams rather than calculations calculations

Genius, joker, possession Genius, joker, possession of wisdom = icon of wisdom = icon

Difference between great Difference between great scientist and iconscientist and icon

Personal and Philosophical EssaysPersonal and Philosophical Essays

The World, The Flesh, and the DevilThe World, The Flesh, and the Devil

Is God in the Lab?Is God in the Lab?

The side IdolatryThe side Idolatry

One in a Million One in a Million

Many WorldsMany Worlds

Religion from the OutsideReligion from the Outside

The World, The Flesh, and the The World, The Flesh, and the Devil Devil

Desmond Bernal Desmond Bernal The World, The Flesh, and the Devil: The World, The Flesh, and the Devil: An Enquiry into the Future of the Three Enemies of the An Enquiry into the Future of the Three Enemies of the Rational Soul Rational Soul (1929)(1929)

““There are two futures, the future of desire and the future of fate, There are two futures, the future of desire and the future of fate, and man’s reason has never learnt to separate them” (287)and man’s reason has never learnt to separate them” (287)

Rational vs. Three enemiesRational vs. Three enemiesWorld- scarcity of material goods, inadequate land, harsh climate, World- scarcity of material goods, inadequate land, harsh climate, desert, swamp, and other physical obstacles that condemn the desert, swamp, and other physical obstacles that condemn the majority of mankind to lives of povertymajority of mankind to lives of povertyFlesh- defects in man’s physiology that expose him to disease, Flesh- defects in man’s physiology that expose him to disease, cloud the clarity of his mind, and finally destroy him by senile cloud the clarity of his mind, and finally destroy him by senile deteriorationdeteriorationDevil- irrational forces in man’s psychological nature that distort his Devil- irrational forces in man’s psychological nature that distort his perceptions and lead him astray with crazy hopes and fears, perceptions and lead him astray with crazy hopes and fears, overriding the feeble voice of reasonoverriding the feeble voice of reason

Is God in the Lab?Is God in the Lab?

Feynman Feynman The religion in which one is The religion in which one is

taught the gospel to help taught the gospel to help people find their way in the people find their way in the worldworld

Impulsive rebelImpulsive rebel Not interested in theology, Not interested in theology,

only the way people use only the way people use religion to make sense of their religion to make sense of their liveslives

No concern for scholastic No concern for scholastic arguments only human arguments only human problemsproblems

Christianity= way to live rather Christianity= way to live rather than a set of beliefs than a set of beliefs

PolkinghornePolkinghorne Theology that turned Christian Theology that turned Christian

religion into a demanding religion into a demanding intellectual discipline, breeding intellectual discipline, breeding ground for scholarsground for scholars

Conscious academic scholarConscious academic scholar Theology is real and serious Theology is real and serious

like sciencelike science Compares two historic Compares two historic

intellectual struggles: quantum intellectual struggles: quantum mechanics and the era after mechanics and the era after Jesus death to show that they Jesus death to show that they represent single intellectual represent single intellectual adventuresadventures