Physicist

Natures' curriculum cannot be changed.

Whatever the course, whether the course was boring or interesting to me, whether I was talented in mathematics or not talented in languages, my parents expected A's.

As Jews, their families left Russia to escape the poverty and the antisemitism.

I was also interested in chemistry, but my parents were not willing to buy me a chemistry set.

Going to school and working for good marks, indeed working for very good marks, was a serious business.

Going to school and working for good marks, indeed working for very good marks, was a serious business.

I learned quickly, as I tell my graduate students now, there are no answers in the back of the book when the equipment doesn't work or the measurements look strange.

They wanted me to play more sports because they were acutely sensitive to their children being one hundred percent American, and they believed that all Americans played sports and loved sports.

A parent being called to the school because their child had misbehaved was as serious as a parent being called to the police station because their child had robbed a bank.

The remoteness of my parents from the schools, so unfashionable today, was often painful for me, but I learned early to deal with an outside and sometimes hard world.

Naturally, I have compensated in my adult years by owning very large numbers of books.

A parent being called to the school because their child had misbehaved was as serious as a parent being called to the police station because their child had robbed a bank.

There were two free public libraries within walking distance of my home; I remember taking six books home from every visit, the limit set by the library.

I learned quickly, as I tell my graduate students now, there are no answers in the back of the book when the equipment doesn't work or the measurements look strange.

This was good training for research, because large parts of experimental work are sometimes boring or involve the use of skills in which one is not particularly gifted.

Naturally, I have compensated in my adult years by owning very large numbers of books.

I read everything: fiction, history, science, mathematics, biography, travel.

They wanted me to play more sports because they were acutely sensitive to their children being one hundred percent American, and they believed that all Americans played sports and loved sports.

My parents were determined to move into the middle class.

The remoteness of my parents from the schools, so unfashionable today, was often painful for me, but I learned early to deal with an outside and sometimes hard world.