Can self-study lead to groundbreaking scientific ideas?

[kokoro]

[Please excuse this topic if it is in the wrong area but since it is so vague I threw it in here. If it is in the wrong forum please redirect it! Ill try and save a copy too!]

Has anyone given the thought of someone with fresh ideas? I know so much has been done now in sciences, philosophies, and health that almost everything has been thought of and now most people work off of strong ideas. But more then that what about the few that don't go to school for sciences but study hard and devote their time theorizing about such scientific obscure ideas. Is their time considerd a waste? How much good can come from a silent girl who reads jung, and Michio Kaku, and other scientists and philosophers etc.? Who may love math but isn't trained well in it?

Or does anyone know of a famouse scientest who started around the age of 20 who now is well known for his ideas and mathematics who studied in the begninning on his own?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense or is useless!

 

[Bladibla]

[Please excuse this topic if it is in the wrong area but since it is so vague I threw it in here. If it is in the wrong forum please redirect it! Ill try and save a copy too!]

Has anyone given the thought of someone with fresh ideas? I know so much has been done now in sciences, philosophies, and health that almost everything has been thought of and now most people work off of strong ideas. But more then that what about the few that don't go to school for sciences but study hard and devote their time theorizing about such scientific obscure ideas. Is their time considerd a waste? How much good can come from a silent girl who reads jung, and Michio Kaku, and other scientists and philosophers etc.? Who may love math but isn't trained well in it?

Or does anyone know of a famouse scientest who started around the age of 20 who now is well known for his ideas and mathematics who studied in the begninning on his own?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense or is useless!

You see, there was a period for invention of ideas, but that was the scientific world at its most basic. Most pragmatic and/or important scientific contributions to be done in this century and a past couple, has been with great understanding of existing ideas, and crafting in such a manner for new interpretation of reality i.e. a breakthrough scientific theory.

As for Michio Kaku and his pals in strong theory, Until experimental verification comes, he can go and shove it. (whether this has anyhing to do with your original point, doesn't matter)

As for your question with whether a great scientist can be merged with self training, I think under no circumstances is it possible. There is a limit to which one's perspective of learning scientific ideas, and a background education and good mentoring are a absolute must for to become a competant scientist. It isn't suprising that many 'great' scientists put there have their respective great mentors, For example Bardeen had Van Vleck, Faraday had Humphrey Davy, And Einstein had that moustache maths teacher who'es name I can;t remember from the top of my head atm.

 

[kokoro]

Damn! You are a very negative person you put down every question I had without any compromise at all! I mean your entitled to your opinion but man! Kinda rude... :(

 

[Bladibla]

Damn! You are a very negative person you put down every question I had without any compromise at all! I mean your entitled to your opinion but man! Kinda rude... :(

Of course I'm entitled to MY opinion! Its a given fact! Don't try to glorify what is the most obvious.

YOU are the one asking for people's opinions here, which as you have stated, 'everyone is entitled to'. If you have such bad pointed view of criticism, then this forum, is not for you. Science isn't developed through a view of comprimise or being 'nice' to people for the sake of being nice; its about doing experiments and using those results to guide yourself to create the most verbally audible idea.

 

[kokoro]

**** man get a life. I was asking a general idea not to be berated. I read other comments you make and ur so negative! growth, to me, can only come from positive thought.

 

[Bladibla]

**** man get a life. I was asking a general idea not to be berated. I read other comments you make and ur so negative! growth, to me, can only come from positive thought.

Well, If you just want watered -down mushy washy ideas for wannabe philosophers, then you should have said to me! Then I would have given an answer that is la-la-la-la-la happy all around and starting with 'interesting point' or some vague point like that. Sheesh. Just what kind of audience do you think you are talking to here?

 

[Cyrus]

Hi kokoro,

To answer your question, I do not think it would be possible to make any meaningful contributions to science without any formal mathetmatical background these days.

P.S. This is very good. http://mickar6.freehostia.com/da02.html

 

[Tzemach]

[Please excuse this topic if it is in the wrong area but since it is so vague I threw it in here. If it is in the wrong forum please redirect it! Ill try and save a copy too!]

Has anyone given the thought of someone with fresh ideas? I know so much has been done now in sciences, philosophies, and health that almost everything has been thought of and now most people work off of strong ideas. But more then that what about the few that don't go to school for sciences but study hard and devote their time theorizing about such scientific obscure ideas. Is their time considerd a waste? How much good can come from a silent girl who reads jung, and Michio Kaku, and other scientists and philosophers etc.? Who may love math but isn't trained well in it?

Or does anyone know of a famouse scientest who started around the age of 20 who now is well known for his ideas and mathematics who studied in the begninning on his own?

Sorry if this doesn't make sense or is useless!

Anyone can have ideas that are worthwhile but in today's technology the amount of research and development being done in Universities and industry means that generally the trained people are at the forefront of new developments.

Anyone who thinks there is little chance of new breakthoughs doesn't know anything, the more you learn the more you realize there is to learn, which is probably another reason that you need an education to be able to recognize opportunities. At age 20 you are young enough to learn and have the time to develop some worthwhile theories. Pick a subject that interests you and start studying.

 

[kokoro]

thank you cyrusabdollahi (im to sensitive! to bladibla ) Yeah i expected to need classes eventually... unless your like some sycho genius! I plan to go to school someday but I would feel amazingly stupid if I didnt learn enough on my own first. So I probably won't go to school for anything like science for the next 5 to 10 years! First off is web design, my art, and living in Japan! And thanks for the compliment!

 

[kokoro]

Thank you Tzemach! I just got interested and at first my passion was more of Oliver Sacks and Neuro psychology (sorry for miss spelling) but now I am more interested in... theoretical physics