the more I read about golden ages the more I'm stunned that we're not obsessing about it all the time
during India's Gupta golden age, they invented zero
during Baghdad's, they translated Aristotle
the Dutch golden age gave us Descartes
"capitalism" is maybe half the picture
during India's Gupta golden age, they invented zero
during Baghdad's, they translated Aristotle
the Dutch golden age gave us Descartes
"capitalism" is maybe half the picture
the real powerful force is a bunch of nerds trying to outdo each other. it's rivalry that drives innovation, IMO, more than prestige, accolades and even financial rewards. it's clapton looking at hendrix and going What The Fuck
i'm still in the early stages of digging thru a ton of material so there's a moderate chance i might change my mind about this stuff, but I broadly think that productive rivalries are underrated and undervalued
Ernest Rutherford, who split the atom, was aided by a bunch of nerd friends – Geiger, Bragg, Wittgenstein, Bohr
notice that plaques tend to focus on the individual
but it so often takes a team of nerds
notice that plaques tend to focus on the individual
but it so often takes a team of nerds
Geiger (L) and Rutherford (R) hanging out
Max Planck won the Physics Nobel for his discovery of energy quanta
he had literal nerd house parties!!!
"The Planck home became a social and cultural center. Numerous well-known scienttsts – Einstein, Hahn, Meitner were frequent visitors". They'd play music together
he had literal nerd house parties!!!
"The Planck home became a social and cultural center. Numerous well-known scienttsts – Einstein, Hahn, Meitner were frequent visitors". They'd play music together
Fritz Haber, originated the Haber-Bosch process, responsible for the fertilizer that feeds the world. His dad wanted him to join the family dye company. He didn't. Haber's life is complicated – his genius wife Clara was an important collaborator. Was friends with Einstein &others
find ambitious nerd friends and challenge the hell out of each other. your works will echo through the ages
more on Fritz Haber's complicated legacy – bringer of both the food of life and unimaginable suffering smithsonianmag.com/history/fritz-…
