It is ironic that Einsteins most creative work, the general theory of relativity, should boil down to conceptualizing space as a medium when his original premise [in special relativity] was that no such medium existed[..]. Robert B. Laughlin More Quotes by Robert B. Laughlin More Quotes From Robert B. Laughlin The questions worth asking, in other words, come not from other people but from nature, and are for the most part delicate things easily drowned out by the noise of everyday life. Robert B. Laughlin delicate-things everyday people Please remain calm: The Earth will heal itself - Climate is beyond our power to control...Earth doesn't care about governments or their legislation. You can't find much actual global warming in present-day weather observations. Climate change is a matter of geologic time, something that the earth routinely does on its own without asking anyone's permission or explaining itself. Robert B. Laughlin heal-itself government weather A person obsessed with ultimate truth is a person asking to be relieved of money. Robert B. Laughlin truth-is obsessed asking In parallel with the development of my interests in technical gadgetry I began to acquire a profound love of and respect for the natural world which motivates my scientific thinking to this day. Robert B. Laughlin development profound thinking The modern concept of the vacuum of space, confirmed every day by experiment, is a relativistic ether. Robert B. Laughlin vacuums modern space To this day I always insist on working out a problem from the beginning without reading up on it first, a habit that sometimes gets me into trouble but just as often helps me see things my predecessors have missed. Robert B. Laughlin work-out reading firsts But the need for conflict to expose prejudice and unclear reasoning, which is deeply embedded in my philosophy of science, has its origin in these debates. Robert B. Laughlin prejudice philosophy needs Western society has many flaws, and it is good for an educated person to have thought some of these through, even at the expense of losing a lecture or two to tear gas. Robert B. Laughlin lectures tears two So mothers everywhere take heart. The indoctrination you administer now may have unanticipated positive effects years later. Robert B. Laughlin mother heart years My job at Stanford is rather different from the ones I had held previously in that my own ambitions must take a back seat to the well-being of the students with whom I work. Robert B. Laughlin different ambition jobs When I moved to Stanford I began to pursue the line of research I have been following ever since, namely trying to understand the larger implications of fractional quantum hall discovery. Robert B. Laughlin research discovery trying As a consequence while we had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes to wear to school we were constantly conscious of being of modest means. Robert B. Laughlin clothes mean school At Berkeley I had my first encounter with real professional scientists. Robert B. Laughlin encounters real firsts My mother, who was professional schoolteacher, was particularly concerned about our formal education and even went so far as to start a private school together with some other parents so that our intellectual needs would be met. Robert B. Laughlin parent mother school My mother also had us take piano lessons, and this had a similar effect. I hated those lessons, but I now play regularly for pleasure and have even tried my hand at composing. Robert B. Laughlin mother play hands It is an interesting fact that during my tour I was never allowed access to computers, radios, or anything else that I might damage through curiosity, or perhaps something more sinister. Robert B. Laughlin radio curiosity interesting It was at Bell Labs that I first made direct contact with real semiconductor experts and thus began to fully understand what amazing materials they were and what they could do. Robert B. Laughlin bells real experts I was an extremely reclusive and introverted boy. Robert B. Laughlin introverted introvert boys I also taught myself how to blow glass using a propane torch from the hardware store and managed to make some elementary chemistry plumbing such as tees and small glass bulbs. Robert B. Laughlin taught glasses blow My childhood home backed onto wheat and cotton fields. Robert B. Laughlin wheat-fields childhood home
