There are relatively few experiments in atomic physics these days that don't involve the use of a laser.

My freshman year of high school I joined the chess and math clubs.

My father was a professor of civil engineering at MIT, and my mother taught high school English.

Between rounds of speed chess I read enough of a programming manual to teach myself to write programs on the school's DEC mainframe in the language Basic.

It was there I met my future wife, Celeste Landry, although our lives took us separate ways for many years and we were not to marry until more than ten years later.

I certainly remember building model rockets. It was fun to watch the rocket blast into the air, suspenseful to wonder if the parachute would open to bring the rocket safely back.

With every passing year, BEC proves that it still has surprises left for us.

After a semester or so, my infatuation with computers burnt out as quickly as it had begun.

I was partly old-fashioned and partly modern.

As it was, I realized choosing the study of Chinese literature as my life's work was probably a mistake.

Conversely, I came to realize that being good at something is hardly a reason to avoid doing it.

Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.

A true friend is a person that will shout at you when you’re wrong, hold your hand when you fall down, dance with you during the good times, and stay with you during your ups and downs.

I was lonelier than I should be, for a woman in love, or half in love.

The mind, placed before any kind of difficulty, can find an ideal outlet in the absurd. Accommodation to the absurd readmits adults to the mysterious realm inhabited by children.

I watched him even then as he fell, his face undefeated, his eyes still proud

Read what you like, not what you're told to like. That way you'll read for a lifetime.

The people have given me their support they have given me their trust and confidence. My colleagues have suffered a lot in order to give me support. I do not look upon my life as a sacrifice at all.

I've chosen jobs that were sexy because I wanted to do them.

I'll never forget anything about Middle Earth. That's part of my memory now so I won't miss anything.

...motherhood should be like driving a car -- you should have to pass a test before you can do it legally.