The Intuitive Edge

Leibnitz: Acclaimed the universal genius of his age, he knew more law, history, politics, religion, literature, metaphysics, and philosophy than most experts in each field. He also displayed great mathematical ability when he invented calculus, independently and shortly after Newton. To Leibnitz, a method of analysis was perfect if "we can foresee from the start that following the method we shall attain our goal."

Malvino: This writer told the following story at a dinner party to illustrate how we will miss the significance of events if we don't observe with an open mind. "An optimist and a pessimist went duck hunting in a boat. Each time they shot a duck, the optimist would send his dog to retrieve it. Incredible as it sounds, the dog would walk across the water, grab the duck, and return to the boat. The water walking continued for the rest of the day. All the while, the pessimist said nothing. While having drinks later that evening, the optimist turned to the pessimist and said, "By the way, did you notice anything unusual about my dog?" To which the pessimist replied, "Yes, he can't swim."

Maslow: This inspiring teacher believed that each of us is capable of greatness and excellence. He liked to ask his college classes this question: "Who among you will be the great poet, or painter, or entrepreneur, statesman, senator, president, or surgeon of your generation?" This question was always followed by an embarrassed silence, a shuffling of feet, and a few giggles. Then Maslow would ask, "If not you, then who?"

Maxwell: During his early years he was scorned and called "daffy" by his classmates. In spite of this, he went on to state Maxwell's equations---profound relations unifying electricity and magnetism. Maxwell's equations are essential for microwave analysis and other electromagnetic phenomena.

Melville: He once wrote, "A man of true science uses but few hard words, and then only when none will answer his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things."

Oersted: During a classroom lecture in 1819, he accidentally laid a compass near a conductor in which charges were flowing. Rather than pointing to the earth's north pole, the compass needle pointed to the conductor. Oersted immediately grasped the importance of this phenomenon. He instantly realized that electricity and magnetism were related. What a moment!

Picasso: A lady once asked Picasso to draw her picture. She said she would be glad to pay for his time. Picasso obliged. He drew a picture of her while she waited. It took about ten minutes and was a great drawing. The lady liked the picture very much, then asked, "How much do I owe you?". Picasso replied "$5,000." The lady gasped and then said, "Mr. Picasso, you only spent ten minutes on the drawing!". To which Picasso replied, "No, madam, I spent all my life on that drawing."

Puccini: He had spent five of years of his life working on his latest opera. During this time, he poured his heart and soul into the work. Finally, opening night came. Puccini knew the world would love the opera. But to his shock and dismay, the opera was booed off the stage half way through the first act. Puccini was heart-broken, inconsolable. He went home totally distraught, a wounded man. The following night, he refused to go to the opera house. He could take no more. Hours later, his friends arrived with the good news. The opera was an overwhelming success. Apparently, the previous night the audience was packed with friends of a rival composer. They had banded together to boo the opera off the stage. It was then that Puccini decided never again to doubt his work. And with good reason. La Boheme was to become the most popular opera of all time.

Steinmetz: A hunchback from birth, he took the middle name "Proteus," a Greek god who could change his appearance at will. Steinmetz was the one who introduced complex numbers to solve ac problems. On one occasion he was hired to troubleshoot a large system no one else could fix. After a brief study of the schematics, he climbed a few ladders and chalked an X on a metal plate. "There, look there," he said and left. The trouble was there. A few days later, the company was jolted by his $1,000 bill and demanded an itemized statement. Steinmetz sent this reply: $1 for marking the spot; $999 for knowing where to make mark.

Sylvester: This brilliant mathematician was highly inventive. He always did it his way because he found it intolerable and boring to master what others had done. He rediscovered some old theorems but found many new ones. His memory was so poor that he had difficulty remembering his own inventions and once even disputed that a certain, theorem of his own could possibly be true.

Tesla: He invented the induction motor before working for Edison. After the two grew to hate each other, Tesla left to start his own business. He fanatically supported ac power, while Edison stubbornly championed dc power. For years the two fought bitterly. Tesla won, and ac power became the standard throughout the world. In 1912, the Nobel prize was to be awarded jointly to Tesla and Edison, but Tesia refused to be associated with Edison, and the prize went to a third party.

Biographies