Dangers of “Common Knowledge” in Materials Simulations

Abstract

For someone entering the field of materials simulations, it may be difficult to navigate through the maze of various ideas and concepts existing in the literature and to make one’s own judgment about their validity and certainty. Monographs and chapter books make it easier for a beginner to prepare for reading the literature describing the state of the art. Yet, even while reading a textbook, a novice may get the discomforting feeling of “not digging” a certain statement. If and when this happens, the first urge is usually to reread the passage and think harder and, if that fails, to re-view the preceding discussion trying to pay more specific attention to the facts and logic behind the elusive idea. Then, depending on one’s patience, it may become necessary to read other texts or talk to more experienced people. But what if all of this fails to clarify the point in question? What if the misunderstanding persists through the years and continues to nag even after most of the other, initially difficult, ideas happily find their proper place in one’s mind. It is quite natural then to begin to doubt oneself: why does no one else have this difficulty? Is it only I who is stupid? Eventually, the feeling of desperation subsides, often replaced by a conditional acceptance: “I don’t dig it but I can live with it”.