People From New York City

"During this period I attended two sessions of the Michigan summer school at which Schwinger (1948) and Feynman (1949) described their respective reformulations of QED. Schwinger’s was deeper and more complete while Feynman’s was easier to use but at that time incomplete. One may give a feeling for the impact of Schwinger by quoting Dyson who wrote home that ”in a few months we shall have forgotten what pre-Schwinger physics was like.” Bethe at that time described this period as the most exciting in physics since the great days of 1925-30 when quantum mechanics was being discovered."

"For two years in the late 1950s I was a postdoc at Harvard. Julian Schwinger was the leading light in theoretical physics at the time. We, the postdocs and junior faculty, audited whatever course he happened to be teaching. The material was always original. The lectures were on Wednesdays, and afterward the small group of us would have lunch with Schwinger at Chez Dreyfus in Cambridge. We would be joined by another small group from MIT that included Vikki Weisskopf. If Schwinger had any new ideas, he would try them out on Weisskopf. As it happened on this occasion, he had developed a “theory of everything.” Some of this theory survives in the work of other people. In 1962, he published a paper on “Gauge invariance and mass.”9 … In it he raised the question of whether one could have a massive vector meson in a theory that had an underlying gauge invariance. This possibility … inspired P. W. Anderson to use these ideas in condensed matter physics.10... 9 J. Schwinger, “Gauge invariance and mass,” Phys. Rev. 125, 397–398 1962 . 10 P. W. Anderson, “Plasmons, gauge invariance and mass,” Phys. Rev. 130, 439–442 1963."

"Is the purpose of theoretical physics to be no more than a cataloging of all the things that can happen when particles interact with each other and separate? Or is it to be an understanding at a deeper level in which there are things that are not directly observable (as the underlying quantized fields are) but in terms of which we shall have a more fundamental understanding?"

"Perhaps the most important contribution to science that the Royal Society has made in its three centuries of existence is its early role in publishing Newton's masterful account of his discoveries: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy—the Principia."

"If my history lesson has done nothing else, it should have reminded you that, during any given period in the evolving history of physics, the prevailing, main line, climate of opinion was likely as not to be wrong, as seen in the light of later developments. And yet, in those earlier times, with relatively few individuals involved, change did occur, but slowly... What is fundamentally different in the present day situation in high energy physics is that large numbers of workers are involved, with corresponding pressures to conformity and resistance to any deflection in direction of the main stream, and that the time scale of one scientific generation is much too long for the rapid pace of experimental discovery. I also have a secret fear that new generations may not necessarily have the opportunity to become familiar with dissident ideas."

"Time appears in quantum mechanics as a continuous parameter which represents an abstraction of the dynamical role of the measurement apparatus. The requirement of invites the extension of this abstraction to include space and time coordinates. The implication that space-time localized measurements are a useful, if practically unrealizable idealization may be incorrect, but it is a grave error dismiss the concept on the basis of a priori notions of measurability."

"I was guilty of judging capitalism by its operations and socialism by its hopes and aspirations; capitalism by its works and socialism by its literature."

"As Adolf Berle, a fellow cold warrior, once remarked, 'Being vindicated by history is cold comfort.' For one thing, the political scars of those with whom one has polemicized seem more long-lasting and painful than their memories of the political issues that gave rise to them. And yet indifference to the political life of one's times I deem a flagrant expression of moral irresponsibility. Those who profess such indifference owe the intellectual and cultural freedoms in which they luxuriate to the commitment and sacrifices of others."

"To me, [it's] extremely interesting that men, perfectly honest, enthusiastic over their work, can so completely fool themselves."

"History proves abundantly that pure science, undertaken without regard to applications to human needs, is usually ultimately of direct benefit to mankind. Within recent years it has become possible for purely scientific work of this character to be carried out with the support of industries, which are, of course, primarily interested in the commercial applications. The scientist who works in this way is frequently especially fortunate in that he not only derives the satisfactions which are characteristic of scientific work in general, but is able to see that many of his results are almost immediately put into a form which directly benefits mankind. Happy indeed is the scientist who not only has the pleasures which I have enumerated, but who also wins the recognition of fellow scientists and of the mankind which ultimately benefits from his endeavors. To my mind, the most important aspect of the Nobel Awards is that they bring home to the masses of the peoples of all nations, a realization of their common interests. They carry to those who have no direct contact with science the international spirit."

"Science, almost from its beginnings, has been truly international in character. National prejudices disappear completely in the scientist’s search for truth. Medicine also disregards national boundaries. And literature frequently rises to heights that make it international. The scientist is motivated primarily by curiosity and a desire for truth. His attitude is objective rather than subjective. In his work he finds great satisfaction in discovering new facts or new relationships between known facts, but even greater pleasure is derived from seeing his results incorporated into the body of scientific knowledge and from seeing them willingly used by others in the further development of science."

"In general, the rate of evaporation (m) of a substance in a high vacuum is related to the pressure (p) of the saturated vapor by the equation m=\sqrt{\frac{M}{2\pi RT}}p. Red phosphorus and some other substances probably form exceptions to this rule."

"I want some red roses for a blue lady. Mister Florist, take my order please. We had a silly quarrel the other day; I hope these pretty flowers chase her blues away."

"Young Ones. Darling we're the Young Ones. Young Ones shouldn't be afraid To live, love, there's a song to be sung, Cause we may not Be the Young Ones very long."

"It takes someone very special to help you forget someone very special."

"They glanced at one another like tigers taking measure of a menacing new rival. But in this kind of jungle you could never be sure where the real danger lurked."

"Love means never having to say you're sorry."

"A Modern Rothko: Color field Paintings by Joseph Pisani"

"My favourite painting is often the one or the collection that I am currently working on. This is probably due to the fact that I don’t yet know where it will take me."

"During my youth, I was fascinated by the colors of Van Goth's paintings"

"In 1995, when I was backpacking through Europe solo, I would head to the train station, look up at the big board, and decide right there and then where I would go that day."

"I’m the type of person that likes to dream big, and I’ve often found that every great journey begins with a dream"

"Being born in New York City, tends to lead to big expectations, expectations that I only started to realize after I had left."

"While traveling, I’ve found that spontaneity keeps things fresh, while serendipity guides me through it all. There have been a lot of rough moments along the way, but they often bear the best memories."

"All the possessions in the world cannot fill an empty heart with love."

""How to do Everything in Just One Lifetime" is a Statement, not a question. I don't understand why people keeping imagining a question mark at the end."

"The love of a girl can make a man stay on when he should go, Just tryin' to build a peaceful life where love is free to grow."

"The man who shot Liberty Valance, He was the bravest of them all."

"Day after day There are girls at the office And men will always be men. Don't send him off with your hair still in curlers; You may not see him again."

"Fame and fortune is a magnet. It can pull you far away from home With a dream in your heart you're never alone. Dreams turn into dust and blow away And there you are without a friend"

"On the day that you were born The angels got together And decided to create a dream come true So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue."

"They mean a trip to Paris or Rome To someone else but not for me. The trains and boats and planes Took you away, away from me."

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It's the only thing that there's just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No not just for some but for everyone."

"Are we meant to take more than we give or are we meant to be kind? And if only fools are kind, Alfie, then I guess it's wise to be cruel."

"Oh, I was only twenty four hours from Tulsa, Ah, only one day away from your arms; I hate to do this to you but I love somebody new, what can I do? And I can never, never, never … go home again."

"I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me, And every step I take recalls how much in love we used to be. Oh, how can I forget you? When there is always something there to remind me"

"The way that we cheered whenever our team was scoring a touchdown, The time that the floor fell out of my car when I put the clutch down."

"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed Nothin' seems to fit"

"Pussycat, pussycat, You're so thrilling and I'm so willing to care for you. So go and make up you big little pussy cat eyes."

"What do you get when you fall in love? You only get lies and pain and sorrow So, for at least, until tomorrow I'll never fall in love again"

"I just don't know what to do with my time I'm so lonesome for you it's a crime Going to the movie only makes me sad Parties make me feel as bad When I'm not with you I just don't know what to do"

"Every time you go away, I always say This time it's goodbye, dear Loving you the way I do I take you back, without you I'd die dear Knowing I love you so."

"Mother told me always to follow the golden rule. And she said it's really a sin to be mean and cruel. So remember if you're untrue Angels up in heaven are looking at you."

"Foolish pride Is all that I have left, so let me hide The tears and the sadness you gave me When you said goodbye Walk on by"

"How could she tell, he deceived her so well; Pity, she'll be the last one to know. Silence is golden, but my eyes still see; Silence is golden, golden, But my eyes still see."

"(The Republican plan would) make sure we bring down the cost of health care for all Americans and that ensures affordable access for all Americans and is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."

"(The bill) is emblematic of the attempt by the majority party to control every aspect of our lives."

"I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country."

"This bill reminds me of the tactics of the former Soviet Union — and we know how successful that was."

"Wanda Sykes: Now come on, that sounds like something from a Harrison Ford movie. That just shows you how much money they are being paid by insurance lobbies. Nobody says crazy stuff like that for real. That's made up! You get paid to play a role like that. When they say stuff like that, you know what I hear? 'Enough is enough! I have had it with these [blanketyblanking] snakes on this [blanketyblanking] plane!' That's what I hear. It's crazy. They're movie lines."