The World Motivation
The pursuit of pretty formulas and neat theorems can no doubt quickly degenerate into a silly vice, but so can the quest for austere generalities which are so very general indeed that they are incapable of application to any particular.
“The pursuit of pretty formulas and neat theorems can no doubt quickly degenerate into a silly vice, but so can the quest for austere generalities which are so very general indeed that they are incapable of application to any particular.”
Explore more quotes by E. T. Bell on topics like Application, wisdom, and life lessons.
“The pursuit of pretty formulas and neat theorems can no doubt quickly degenerate into a silly vice, but so can the quest for austere generalities which are so very general indeed that they are incapable of application to any particular.”
“'Obvious' is the most dangerous word in mathematics.”
“Guided only by their feeling for symmetry, simplicity, and generality, and an indefinable sense of the fitness of things, creative mathematicians now, as in the past, are inspired by the art of mathematics rather than by any prospect of ultimate usefulness.”
“The mistakes and unresolved difficulties of the past in mathematics have always been the opportunities of its future.”
“It is the perennial youthfulness of mathematics itself which marks it off with a disconcerting immortality from the other sciences.”
“Out of fifty mathematical papers presented in brief at such a meeting, it is a rare mathematician indeed who really understands what more than half a dozen are about.”
“I find very few folks are watching their Facebook feed, some are watching their Twitter feed, and all of them are watching their email box. So, while social networks are nice, email is still the killer application.”
“Government can contribute to a shared sense of purpose on the part of the citizenry; that's its highest and best application.”
“New technology creates a new marketplace of words, creating totally new words and changing the meaning and application of existing ones. In doing so, it has a potent opportunity to create new misconceptions and confusion.”
“Make-up is all about shading; it's about tactical application.”
“A written constitution guides and directs the application of law in a way utterly unlike oral guidance. It reminds us that the certainty and consistency of legal application is essential.”
“After earning my university degrees and working for a few years, I wrote to NASA to request an application package. Seven months later, after I applied, I received a call inviting me to Houston to interview. That itself was thrilling; it meant that I was one of the 100 or so who would be interviewed, chosen from several thousand applicants.”