Flipped through a book published by PostSecret. Moving and funny stuff in there. It’s really tragic how many seem to be about some form of sexual assault or abuse. But that’s beside my point.
Two of them involved figures who are (or are claimed to be) “well-known.” I duplicate them below to the best of my memory. My question is, who do you think it’s most likely the well-known people in these secrets are, if “well-known” to the writers of the secrets means “the average person is relatively likely to know this person’s name, if nothing else about them”? How about if it means “the average person interested in this field is likely to know who this person is”?
I couldn’t say who either of them might be but I’m wondering (for some reason) if the keeper of secret #1 meant he hasn’t told anyone about the data-falsification pressure or about the ruining of his career? Or both. Was it clear from the original wording, do you remember?
I think a classical musician’s definition of “well known” might be a bit different than ours. More likely to mean “been recorded” or “principle in major orchestra” IMO.
The first name that popped into my head when I read Secret #2 was that of Charlotte Church. As for the “well-known scientist” who ruined the first secret sharer’s career, I thought of Stephen Jay Gould and William Shockley, although neither is now in a position to deny anything, being dead and all. If the scientist is living, Stephen Hawking would be my “shot in the dark” guess.
