REVOLUTIONARY THINKERS

Things are often not as they seem.  Looking out in my yard, the world sure looks flat to me.  Our students are tomorrow's inventors, authors, and politicians.  What will they discover that just does not sound right today. 

S. Davis



In Science things are often counter-intuitive.  In other words, they are not as they seem.  Many of the great breakthroughs in science occur by someone "Thinking out of the Box".

One example of this is Charles Darwin who published On the Origin of Species in 1859.  In it he developed his theory of evolution and postulated that all living beings have a common ancestor.  This idea came to him from extensive observation in the Galapagos Islands aboard the HMS Beagle. This was at the time somewhat controversial, and remains so in certain parts of the world today. It is counter-intuitive to think that dinosaurs and corn have a common  ancestor.

Can you think of any other ideas taken for granted today which were considered out of the mainstream in times past that could be used to encourage my students to "Think out of the Box".
They do not have to be science related if that is not your area of expertise.  They could be political or concern the arts. Ever heard of Picasso, Copernicus, and Marx?