Sam Bennett
Subject: Re: Study finds Company's least "educated" filed most
patents!
In a message dated 02/04/2000 11:57:17 PM, sbennett@teleport.com writes:
>greatest strength as a researcher was that he had not been taught how
>(what?) to think.
One correction to the " ". It should be "greatest strength as a
researcher
was that he had not been taught WHAT (not now) to think.
It is amazing what one can accomplish when one does not "know it can't be
done".
The anecdote goes (it may even be true), that Albert Einstein was not
accepted at "University". He had to go to a "teachers college". The
"teachers college" would not certify him as qualified to teach when he
graduated, so he had to get a "government job" as a patent researcher in
the
Swedish (not German) Patient Office. His Special Theory of Relativity was
not
accepted for publication in the "best journals". I was finally published
in
an obscure Polish publication. After that he was made "Heir Doctor
Professor" of the university that would not admit him as a student. As a
"Jew" he was rejected by Germany and immigrated to the US, where a he was
almost not let in because he was broke and had no job. Almost by
accident
someone visiting Ellis Island recognized him and sponsored him. Only
then
did he get into the US.
Consider the following:
"THE FORMULATION OF THE PROBLEM IS OFTEN MORE ESSENTIAL THAN ITS
SOLUTION,
WHICH MIGHT BE MERELY A MATTER OF MATHEMATICAL OR EXPERIMENTAL SKILL. TO
RAISE NEW QUESTIONS, NEW POSSIBILITIES, TO REGARD OLD PROBLEMS FROM A NEW
ANGLE REQUIRES CREATIVE IMAGINATION AND MARKS REAL ADVANCE IN SCIENCE."
Albert Einstein and Leopold Infeld, The Evolution of Physics, 1938
"The same stuff that floats to the top in septic tanks often float to the
top
in think tanks." C. M. Bennett, 2000
-------------------------------------------------------------
To leave this list, email <listserver@keelynet.com>
with the body text: leave Interact
list archives and on line subscription forms are at
http://keelynet.com/interact/
-------------------------------------------------------------