Einstein once left behind a confident quote: "Because I never blindly follow authority, God has made me an authority as a punishment." This statement profoundly reveals the importance of diligent thinking and learning to question. Einstein himself was a practitioner of this philosophy, stating: "Humanity solves all problems in the world through thought and wisdom, not by copying books."
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the development of classical physics had reached its peak. In 1900, Lord Kelvin declared at the British Royal Society celebration: "The great physical laws of nature are all discovered, and it remains for future generations to do work of a purely subsidiary character." However, Einstein chose the field of physics, which was then considered a niche area. Although his academic performance upon graduation was mediocre, forcing him to work as a tutor, he never stopped thinking, often conceiving formulas while walking. In 1905, he published five milestone papers, establishing the theory of special relativity and overturning the framework of classical physics. This year is also known as Einstein's "Miracle Year." These achievements strongly prove that great figures often possess a spirit of diligent thinking and questioning.
Historically, Galileo made significant contributions to the construction of classical physics by questioning the authoritative theories of Aristotle. In China, the renowned modern mathematician Hua Luogeng also demonstrated the power of thought. Hua Luogeng received only a few years of primary education but became a mathematical giant through diligent study. In the Tang Dynasty, poet Lu Lun wrote the "Song of the Frontier" (Sai Xia Qu): "The moon is dark and geese fly high, the enemy chief flees by night. I want to lead light cavalry to pursue, but heavy snow fills the bow and blade." This poem has been appreciated by literati for nearly a thousand years, yet few have noticed the logical flaw within it. Hua Luogeng keenly pointed this out and wrote a poem to refute Lu Lun: "In the north when heavy snow falls, the geese have long returned south. In the dark sky at high altitude, how can one see geese flying?" He pointed out that in northern regions during heavy snow, geese have already migrated south, making the scene described in the poem impossible. This example further corroborates the importance of diligent thinking and questioning in understanding the world.
