If you only had a single statement to pass on to others summarizing the most vital lesson to be drawn from your work, what would it be? Seed asked eleven scientists this question. These are their answers.

In his famous Lectures on Physics, Richard Feynman presented this interesting speculation:

“If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, or whatever you wish to call it) that all things are made of atoms—little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. In that one sentence, you will see, there is an enormous amount of information about the world, if just a little imagination and thinking are applied.”

more…

CrazyNeutrino said:

If you only had a single statement to pass on to others summarizing the most vital lesson to be drawn from your work, what would it be? Seed asked eleven scientists this question. These are their answers.

In his famous Lectures on Physics, Richard Feynman presented this interesting speculation:

“If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, or whatever you wish to call it) that all things are made of atoms—little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. In that one sentence, you will see, there is an enormous amount of information about the world, if just a little imagination and thinking are applied.”

more…

“Don’t eat yellow snow”?

bob(from black rock) said:

“Don’t eat yellow snow”?

Let them find that for themselves.

As for the OP, maybe also include a sub clause saying there’s also subatomic particles.

there is no god…

stumpy_seahorse said:

there is no god…

But there is a dog.

bob(from black rock) said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

there is no god…

But there is a dog.

Dogs are much easier to believe in than gods.

stumpy_seahorse said:

there is no god…

yes that one is good

If there’s no god, who left them the message about atoms?

Divine Angel said:

If there’s no god, who left them the message about atoms?

who are them?

CrazyNeutrino said:

Divine Angel said:

If there’s no god, who left them the message about atoms?

who are them?

what message about atoms

The next civilisation.

Divine Angel said:

If there’s no god, who left them the message about atoms?

Deep

Divine Angel said:

The next civilisation.

The message was written on the SSSF stone.

CrazyNeutrino said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

Divine Angel said:

If there’s no god, who left them the message about atoms?

who are them?

what message about atoms

you know…

atom an eve…

Be nice to your mother.

stumpy_seahorse said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

who are them?

what message about atoms

you know…

atom an eve…

Then who told her about apples?

theres something happening with the holiday forum my end

everytime I click on a chat post the whole page disappears and then By time column disappears and goes back to the normal by topic side column

wookiemeister said:

theres something happening with the holiday forum my end

everytime I click on a chat post the whole page disappears and then By time column disappears and goes back to the normal by topic side column

No problem here.

wookiemeister said:

theres something happening with the holiday forum my end

everytime I click on a chat post the whole page disappears and then By time column disappears and goes back to the normal by topic side column

restart your computer wookie

Tamb said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

what message about atoms

you know…

atom an eve…

Then who told her about apples?

Matt Damon…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf0OFZexRGs

Tamb said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

what message about atoms

you know…

atom an eve…

Then who told her about apples?

Seeing as apples contain compounds which promote lubrication and sexual arousal, probably this atom fella……

Postpocelipse said:

Tamb said:

stumpy_seahorse said:

you know…

atom an eve…

Then who told her about apples?

Seeing as apples contain compounds which promote lubrication and sexual arousal, probably this atom fella……

To which she replied “It’s OK. Size doesn’t matter”

wookiemeister said:

theres something happening with the holiday forum my end

everytime I click on a chat post the whole page disappears and then By time column disappears and goes back to the normal by topic side column

Did the same to me a few weeks back, but sorted out by a re-boot.

“If you only had a single statement to pass on to others summarizing the most vital lesson to be drawn from your work, what would it be? “

My latest bank Statement

If civilisation collapses after we find the cure for cancer, let’s leave that note.

PermeateFree said:

wookiemeister said:

theres something happening with the holiday forum my end

everytime I click on a chat post the whole page disappears and then By time column disappears and goes back to the normal by topic side column

Did the same to me a few weeks back, but sorted out by a re-boot.

Happens to me all the time after I click on a link here. Need to close all HF pages down and re-open to fix it, and then remember to open links in a new window.

An engineer’s answer:

Before passing on any work to the next stage in the design process ask yourself this question: are you happy with it?

The Rev Dodgson said:

An engineer’s answer:

Before passing on any work to the next stage in the design process ask yourself this question: are you happy with it?

What if you’re not, but it’s only a hunch as all the calculations are right?

PermeateFree said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

An engineer’s answer:

Before passing on any work to the next stage in the design process ask yourself this question: are you happy with it?

What if you’re not, but it’s only a hunch as all the calculations are right?

Then tell them to bugger off, you’re not finished yet.

(needless to say, I have not always done this, and often it works out ok anyway, but sometimes it doesn’t)

CrazyNeutrino said:

If you only had a single statement to pass on to others summarizing the most vital lesson to be drawn from your work, what would it be? Seed asked eleven scientists this question. These are their answers.

“If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, or whatever you wish to call it) that all things are made of atoms—little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when….

A generalized but detailed statement of the scientific method would be far more useful than anything else.

The Rev Dodgson said:

An engineer’s answer:

Before passing on any work to the next stage in the design process ask yourself this question: are you happy with it?

As much as I love you engineers, I think the real question is: do I care enough to be unhappy with it?