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Research is the act of going up alleys to see if they are blind.
Research is the act of going up alleys to see if they are blind.
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
Whom computers would destroy, they must first drive mad.
...there is no prescribed route to follow to arrive at a new idea. You have to make the intuitive leap. read more
...there is no prescribed route to follow to arrive at a new idea. You have to make the intuitive leap. But the difference is that once you've made the intuitive leap you have to justify it by filling in the intermediate steps. In my case, it often happens that I have an idea, but then I try to fill in the intermediate steps and find that they don't work, so I have to give it up.
The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up, there's no law against whacking them read more
The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up, there's no law against whacking them around a little.
A satellite has no conscience.
A satellite has no conscience.
It's very good for an idea to be commonplace. The important thing is that a new idea should develop out read more
It's very good for an idea to be commonplace. The important thing is that a new idea should develop out of what is already there so that it soon becomes an old acquaintance. Old acquaintances aren't by any means always welcome, but at least one can't be mistaken as to who or what they are.
About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt axe. It is equally vain read more
About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt axe. It is equally vain to try to do it with ten blunt axes instead.
When the lay public rallies round to an idea that is denounced by distinguished by elderly scientists and supports the read more
When the lay public rallies round to an idea that is denounced by distinguished by elderly scientists and supports the idea with great fervour and emotion, the distinguished but elderly scientests are then, after all, right. -Isaac Asimov.
We have a habit in writing articles published in scientific journals to make the work as finished as possible, to read more
We have a habit in writing articles published in scientific journals to make the work as finished as possible, to cover up all the tracks, to not worry about the blind alleys or describe how you had the wrong idea at first, and so on. So there isn't any place to publish, in a dignified manner, what you actually did in order to get to do the work.
