Short Stories
of Science and Invention

A Collection of Radio Talks by
Charles F. Kettering

INDEX

5.  Experiment vs. Theory

Lecture     A friend of mine, who teaches gen­eral medicine at one of our large Universities, once told me this story while discussing a similar point. He is an old hand at teaching medicine. He lectures to the classes, teaching the boys to be gen­eral practitioners. His system is sound and doesn't differ radically from simi­lar courses in other Universities, except the last lecture he gives the group. That lecture is unique. On this occasion, he says, in part:

     "Young men, we are together for the last time. We have had a very pleasant time. You have been a good class and I have enjoyed working with you.

Experiment4     "I have given you the best infor­mation available - the best case his­tories I could find. The textbooks we have used are the most widely ac­cepted and reliable. But before we part company, I want to caution you that the science of medicine is developing so rapidly that in a few vears from now perhaps half of the things I have taught you won't be so. Unfortunately, I don't know which half that will be."


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