PEDIATRICS Vol. 84 No. 6 December 1989, pp. A50
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THEN TENSION BETWEEN CREATIVITY AND SKEPTICISM

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The traits of creativity and skepticism are necessary complements in science. Although excessive skepticism in the earliest stages of theorizing inhibits creativity and often kills potential successes, once a theoretical or exprimental result is announced, a scientist's sworn duty is to try to shoot it down as fast as possible. The history of science is littered with the corpses of nonsensical theories and false discoveries. It is sad to think that most of us devote our careers to dead ends. But it is better than the alternative. If we were forced to live in an overpopulated slum dwelling of ridiculous theories and experiments, science would have progressed as far as astrology.