"Oh, so you already know all the old science?"

February 11, 2011 11:28 AM

Quip identify filter- Reporter: "What's the newest thing in science?" Scientist, feigning surprise: "Oh, so you already know all the old science?" Does anyone recognize this? Who said it?
posted by RobotHero to Science & Nature (3 answers total)

This has the ring of an exchange between Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich on an episode of Radiolab.
posted by xiaolongbao at 11:59 AM on February 11, 2011

From the book What Einstein Told His Barber:

When Albert Einstein was in residence at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University, an eager young newspaper reporter approached him one day, notebook in hand. 'Well, Professor Einstein," he asked, "what's new in science?"

Einstein looked at him with his deep, soft eyesand replied, "Oh? Have you already written about all the old science?"
posted by amyms at 12:55 PM on February 11, 2011

Thanks!

I think it's a nice quote for resisting a certain deep-seated bias towards the "newest" thing, when there's still so much that's "new-to-me." But I didn't know who to attribute it to.
posted by RobotHero at 1:11 PM on February 11, 2011