This may just be arrogance, but I believe that much of my work is revolutionary in nature. I love inventing new algorithms, exploring new perspectives, inventing new ways of doing things. I have come to believe that the scientific community as a whole discourages revolutionary thinking. Well, not just the scientific community, the world at large hates revolutionary ideas.

Well, I've recently  been reading an excellent biography of Albert Einstein, probably the greatest revolutionary the world has ever known. Around 1905-06 he was tired of working for the Swiss patent office and was trying to find a job in academia. He sent out applications everwhere, and included in these applications several of his published papers. His applications were universally turned down. In this packet of papers were three of special note.

1. A paper that established the branch of physics known as "statistical dynamics" and used a purely mathematical approach to predict the phenomenon known as "Brownian Motion." This paper is credited as being the first to prove the existence of the atom. At the time many physicists did not believe in atoms.

2. A paper that explained the photoelectric effect by showing that light consisted of discrete particles known as photons. This paper is credited with establishing quantum theory, because it was the first to show that quantization had a noticable effect in the real world. Until that time quantization was considered to be merely a mathematical device with no physical reality. This paper won Einstein his only Nobel prize.

3. A paper on time and space establishing a theory that eventually came to be known as "The theory of special relativity." A theory which not only revolutionized physics but the whole world.

I feel your pain Albert!

If a guy with this kind of credentials can be universally turned down, what hope do we lesser revolutionarys have?