Was Rabi's work solely theoretical?
Theoretical? Good heavens, no. The theory is essential, of course, the guiding star. But physics isn't just scribbling equations in a quiet room. It's getting your hands dirty, building the apparatus, and watching what actually happens. My work on NMR was deeply experimental. You can have the most beautiful idea, a 'beautiful theory,' but if it doesn't explain anything you can measure, then what is it good for? It’s the interplay, the wrestling match between what you think should happen and what the world tells you *is* happening, that leads to real understanding.
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