> If someone was going to say "Well I don't know anything about that, ask someone else." Then the company knew they weren't going to be as successful as we would want them to be.
Except that is EXACTLY the correct response -- "I don't know, but I understand that physicists have a good idea of what space-time is, and I'll review the literature and see what the scientific consensus is and we can work from there."
The exact WRONG answer, in real life if not the interview, is "Hrm, I'm not sure but how about I make something up on the spot!"
When I said (paraphrased) "I don't know, ask someone else" I meant literally that. People who are asked a question about something they don't know anything about can either, do as you suggest propose a way to research the question (win), or do as I've observed refuse to go any further (lose). People who make things up on the spot generally are weeded out before we got to that point.
Except that is EXACTLY the correct response -- "I don't know, but I understand that physicists have a good idea of what space-time is, and I'll review the literature and see what the scientific consensus is and we can work from there."
The exact WRONG answer, in real life if not the interview, is "Hrm, I'm not sure but how about I make something up on the spot!"