Success in research needs four Gs: Glück, Geduld, Geschick, und Geld (luck, patience,
skill, and money).
—Paul Ehrenfest
17
Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.
—Louis Pasteur
18
Toil conquered the world, unrelenting toil.
—Virgil
19
No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrifice and toil and doubt.
—Max Beerbohm, 1914
The only factor becoming scarce in a world of abundance is human attention.
—Kevin Kelly, 1998
***
Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you
will sacrifice everything else for it.
—J. M. Barrie, 1904
To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else.
—Burnadette Devlin, 1969
We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding
objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective.
—Dwight Eisenhower, 1957
***
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood. […] Make big plans, aim high
in hope and work.
—Daniel Burnham, 1910
20
Too low they build, who build beneath the stars.
—Edward Young
21
For a big ship, a long sailing.
22
—Russian proverb
17
As quoted, without a date, by M. Perutz in 1988.
18
As quoted, without a date, by Wayne W. Dyer in 2001.
19
From his Aeneid, written in 29-19 BC.
20
Reportedly, first put on paper by a Burnham’s associate, some Willis Polk.
21
From his Night Thoughts, written in 1742-1745.
22
The recent (anonymous?) mocking, “For a big ship, a big torpedo”, also seems valid not only
literally—see the On Society… section below.
10
On Discoveries, Problems, and Solutions
skill, and money).
—Paul Ehrenfest
17
Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.
—Louis Pasteur
18
Toil conquered the world, unrelenting toil.
—Virgil
19
No fine work can be done without concentration and self-sacrifice and toil and doubt.
—Max Beerbohm, 1914
The only factor becoming scarce in a world of abundance is human attention.
—Kevin Kelly, 1998
***
Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you
will sacrifice everything else for it.
—J. M. Barrie, 1904
To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else.
—Burnadette Devlin, 1969
We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding
objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective.
—Dwight Eisenhower, 1957
***
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood. […] Make big plans, aim high
in hope and work.
—Daniel Burnham, 1910
20
Too low they build, who build beneath the stars.
—Edward Young
21
For a big ship, a long sailing.
22
—Russian proverb
17
As quoted, without a date, by M. Perutz in 1988.
18
As quoted, without a date, by Wayne W. Dyer in 2001.
19
From his Aeneid, written in 29-19 BC.
20
Reportedly, first put on paper by a Burnham’s associate, some Willis Polk.
21
From his Night Thoughts, written in 1742-1745.
22
The recent (anonymous?) mocking, “For a big ship, a big torpedo”, also seems valid not only
literally—see the On Society… section below.
10
On Discoveries, Problems, and Solutions