Elihu Thomson Professions : Electrical engineer Born : March 29, 1853 Died : March 13, 1937 Browse All Authors Top 3 quotes by Elihu Thomson If the question were, "What ought to be the next objective in science?" my answer would be the teaching of science to the young, so that when the whole population grew up there would be a far more general background of common sense, based on a knowledge of the real meaning of the scientific method of discovering truth. Elihu Thomson real teaching knowledge The so-called ‘crank’ may be quite original in his ideas. … Invention, however, in the engineering sense involves originality; but not that alone, if the results are to be of value. There is imagination more or less fertile, but with it a knowledge of what has been done before, carried perhaps by the memory, together with a sense of the present or prospective needs in art or industry. Necessity is not always the mother of invention. It may be prevision. Elihu Thomson mother memories art Shall an invention be patented or donated to the public freely? I have known some well-meaning scientific men ... to look askance at the patenting of inventions, as if it were a rather selfish and ungracious act, essentially unworthy. The answer is very simple. Publish an invention freely, and it will almost surely die from lack of interest in its development. It will not be developed and the world will not be benefited. Patent it, and if valuable, it will be taken up and developed into a business. Elihu Thomson selfish taken science Similar Authors Arthur E. Kennelly electrical-engineer Andy Bechtolsheim electrical-engineer Amar Bose electrical-engineer Irwin M. Jacobs electrical-engineer Dov Frohman electrical-engineer Harold Stephen Black electrical-engineer All Authors
