Quantum physicist Anton Zellinger spoke about his “personal journey” in science Friday during the ceremonial session of the Academy of Sciences. “I was an outsider at school,” he said. “Fortunately I had another man who was also as crazy as me.”
➤ Read more: How the Nobel Prize Was Awarded to Anton Zellinger
The Nobel laureate and former head of the Academy advises finding such young people – “gifted outsiders” – in schools and bringing them together. He considers the freedom to pursue things that do not seem useful at first glance to be the secret of his success.
A tribute to the memory of Stanley Kubrick
Federal President Alexander van der Bellen addressed artificial intelligence in his speech. It was reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 movie: 2001 A Space Odyssey. In the end, people had to kill the on-board computer, which became independent. “I think we still have a lot to learn,” he said.
Scientific skepticism
All speakers lamented the high level of skepticism about science in Austria – according to Academy President Heinz Fassmann, it is 30 percent. “We are not satisfied when parts of the population reject us,” he said. It was agreed that science should never claim to know what is to come. The Federal President said that she is looking for the truth, but she does not have it, and she learns from mistakes. red
“Alcohol buff. Troublemaker. Introvert. Student. Social media lover. Web ninja. Bacon fan. Reader.”