Dr. Oppenheimer Stresses
Science's Edge on Culture
By Robert H. Conn
"A central, healthy culture has
to have in it a good sampling of
the highest knowledge available at
that time," stated Dr. J. Robert
Oppenheimer last night before a
standing-room-only audience in
Webster Hall.
The Director of the Institute for
Advanced Research at Princeton
University went on to point out
that "We live near the edge of
disaster because there is no quick
and easy way for human institu-
tions to change to keep up with
the exponential growth of science.
Scientist Needs to Apologize
"In today's world, a scientist
must apologize for speaking in
technical terms because this
growth of culture takes such a
long time," Dr. Oppenheimer con-
tinued.
But the physicist then showed
that even knowledge is inherently
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[portrait of Oppenheimer]
J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER
Gets Standing Ovation
incomplete. "We have a new no-
tion of chance that shows that
there are limitations of what one
can do. The idea of knowing
everything is foolish."
Two Methods of Science
Dr. Oppenheimer then showed
that since science can never be
known completely, there are two
basic ways in which more knowl-
edge can be discovered by science.
"The first is the true scientist's
desire to understand. He is stimu-
lated by new discoveries, by new
mechanisms, by new possibilities,
or by the feeling of paradox."
"The second is stimulated
by the fact that someone
wants something produced that
has never been done before
and orders the scientist to go out
and do it," the physicist continued.
Pointing out that the second
method was used because of prac-
tical need, he stated that the exis-
tence of a new curiosity created
from the first types explorations
will also eventually prove to help
someone.
Formerly Two Separate Entities
"In the past years, the two were
separate entities. Today they are
hopelessly mixed together," con-
tinued the scientist.
Dr. Oppenheimer then pointed
out that "In science, something
necessarily follows from general
principles in a logical manner, but
all science can not be resolved be-
cause it is a never finishable to
remove from the world elements of
chance and randomness."
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