Intuition

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” - thus spoke Albert Einstein.

I find it quite strange that a scientist like him ever quoted that. May be we need to read it in the context of the overall conversation when he said that. Perhaps he was alluding to the importance of being imaginative.

The following simple examples show that following simple intuition does not always lead to truth and science teaches us to experiment and probe.

Sun 'rises' in the east and 'sets' in the west but Sun is not moving, rather it's earth which is moving! It seems trivial now but scientists had to fight hard to prove it to society.

Earth is round. However, wherever you go you see it is flat. You drive thousands of miles, still you see it as flat. Again, intuition tells us that it is flat but it is not.

Anyway, Einstein also said, "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."