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Clifford A. Pickover
(15 Aug 1957 - )
American scientist, science journalist and author who pursues creativity in bringing together disparate areas of knowledge in art, science, computers, mathematics, human behavior, science fiction, time travel and alien life. From these diverse interests, he has produced over 40 books.
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Science Quotes by Clifford A. Pickover (2 quotes)
For me, physics cultivates a perpetual state of wonder about the limits of thoughts, the workings of the universe, and our place in the vast space-time landscape that we call home.
— Clifford A. Pickover
Closing sentence of 'Introduction', The Physics Book: From Olbers’ Paradox to Schrödinger’s Cat: From the Big Bang to Quantum Resurrection, 250 Milestones in the History of Physics (2011), 15.
Mathematical theories have sometimes been used to predict phenomena that were not confirmed until years later. For example, Maxwell’s equations, named after physicist James Clerk Maxwell, predicted radio waves. Einstein’s field equations suggested that gravity would bend light and that the universe is expanding. Physicist Paul Dirac once noted that the abstract mathematics we study now gives us a glimpse of physics in the future. In fact, his equations predicted the existence of antimatter, which was subsequently discovered. Similarly, mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky said that “there is no branch of mathematics, however abstract, which may not someday be applied to the phenomena of the real world.”
— Clifford A. Pickover
In 'Introduction', The Math Book: From Pythagoras to the 57th Dimension, 250 Milestones in the History of Mathematics (2009), 12.
See also:
- Archimedes to Hawking: Laws of Science and the Great Minds Behind Them, by Clifford Pickover. - book suggestion.
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.
(1987) -- 
