Topic: Faye Flam

Newton formulated gravity as an invisible force between massive objects. Einstein’s replaced it with the notion that objects warped space-time and deflected the paths of other objects. Most people did not understand Einstein’s theory, but they appreciated it nonetheless.

Meritocracy is a popular idea for structuring society, but whether committees are picking students to go to Yale or doling out coveted time on the Hubble Space Telescope to astronomers, it’s often nearly impossible in practice. Merit can be hard to measure - doable enough in tennis or swimming, but harder to define in art, science or college admissions.

Some 12,000 years ago, with the invention of farming, humans started a war against weeds – and the weeds are still a step ahead.

Of all living things, why do humans alone create advanced technology?

Yes, science is fallible. Scientists are only human and science is not a synonym for truth. It’s a bumpy, meandering road that heads in that general direction.