... the the method I have adopted in my work has always been first to learn what is already known about a subject; then to see if it conforms to those standards of rigor, logical ordering, and completion which one has a right to ask; and, if it does not, to set about doing it. The motivation has always been systematization based on scholarship. And I venture to suppose that this is true quite generally. In any case, it would seem to me that only in that way can a healthy scientific life be led and the real scientific values be achieved.
C. A. R. Hoare, in his recent retrospective article:
The goal of industrial research is (and should always be) to pluck the 'low-hanging fruit'; that is, to solve the easiest parts of the most prevalent problems, in the particular circumstances of here and now. But the goal of the pure research scientist is exactly the opposite: it is to construct the most general theories, covering the widest possible range of phenomena, and to seek certainty of knowledge that will endure for future generations. It is to avoid the compromises so essential to engineering, and to seek ideals like accuracy of measurement, purity of materials, and correctness of programs, far beyond the current perceived needs of industry or popularity in the market-place. For this reason, it is only scientific research that can prepare mankind for the unknown unknowns of the forever uncertain future.
No comments:
Post a Comment