Ron DePinho, Professor of Department of Cancer Biology, Division of Discovery Science at MD Anderson Cancer Center, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“In science, asking the right question is the critical first step…
A student once asked Albert Einstein:
‘What does logic mean? ‘
Einstein responded with a question:
‘Imagine two workers entering a chimney together to clean it. At the exit, one has a dirty face, the other has a clean face. Who will wash their face? ‘
Without hesitation, the student replied:
‘The one with the dirty face, obviously. ‘
Einstein smiles:
‘Fake. The one who goes to wash his face is the one who is clean. For what? Because they looked at each other’s faces and assumed theirs was in the same state. He who is dirty thinks he is clean. He who is clean thinks he is dirty. ‘
The student, a little surprised, agreed:
‘It’s true… and logical. ‘
Einstein then replied:
‘No. This is neither true nor logical. Because the question itself is illogical. It doesn’t make sense for two men to walk into the same chimney, at the same time, and one comes out clean while the other is dirty. ‘
So, one can have an optimal answer for a poorly asked question. Good scientists ask important questions. Truly great scientists ask questions that have never been asked before.”
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