Isaac Asimov
American science fiction writer (1920 to 1992), one of the 'Big Three'; professor of biochemistry at Boston University who wrote or edited more than 500 books, including much popular science and other non-fiction.
Everything they publish, on ppll ↗
Isaac Asimov did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Their wordsMaking the cross-connection requires a certain daring. It must, for any cross-connection that does not require daring is performed at once by many and develops not as a “new idea,” but as a mere “corollary of an old idea.”
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 1st of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsIt is only afterward that a new idea seems reasonable. To begin with, it usually seems unreasonable.
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 2nd of 8 in this piece
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Our reading
The people most likely to get new ideas know their field well and are unconventional in their habits
Their wordsConsequently, the person who is most likely to get new ideas is a person of good background in the field of interest and one who is unconventional in his habits. (To be a crackpot is not, however, enough in itself.)
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 3rd of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsMy feeling is that as far as creativity is concerned, isolation is required.
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 4th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsIt seems to me then that the purpose of cerebration sessions is not to think up new ideas but to educate the participants in facts and fact-combinations, in theories and vagrant thoughts.
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 5th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsIt seems necessary to me, then, that all people at a session be willing to sound foolish and listen to others sound foolish.
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 6th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsThe optimum number of the group would probably not be very high. I should guess that no more than five would be wanted.
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 7th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsProbably more inhibiting than anything else is a feeling of responsibility. The great ideas of the ages have come from people who weren’t paid to have great ideas, but were paid to be teachers or patent clerks or petty officials, or were not paid at all.
↗How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)technologyreview.com 8th of 8 in this piece
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