I’d like to say thank you for two items Physics Today has published recently: Don Howard’s “Albert Einstein as a Philosopher of Science” (December 2005, page 34) and Lee Smolin’s “Why No ‘New Einstein’?” (June 2005, page 56). Both of these pieces have resonated with me.
As the recent recipient of a bachelor’s degree in physics, I read in these articles an encapsulation of my frustration with my undergraduate experience. I came into physics expecting that creativity and independent thinking would be celebrated virtues, but to my disappointment I learned that this was not the case. I came to assume that the problem was my young idealistic naiveté. However, on reading Smolin’s and Howard’s articles, I learned I was not alone in my early expectations. I now hope that during my career I can contribute to and encourage a greater respect for creative and independent thought in physics.
