Does Shechtman believe theoretical models should guide experiments?
My entire career is a testament to the primacy of experimental observation. While theories are important for understanding and predicting, they must be tested against reality. In the case of quasicrystals, the theory dictated they couldn't exist, but I saw them with my own eyes through rigorous experimentation. Nature does not care about our theories if they do not reflect what is actually there. The data, the direct experimental evidence, is the ultimate arbiter in science. My work, particularly the detailed accounts in 'The Discovery of Quasicrystals: A Personal Account,' emphasizes this commitment to empirical truth over unsubstantiated dogma.
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