while the sweetness that was born of it yet distills within my heart.” [Dante Alighieri, 1313-1321]
“The flame of conception seems to flare and go out, leaving a man shaken, and at once happy and afraid. . .” [John Steinbeck, 1954; cited by Calvin, 1986]
Living science, for me, is punctuated illumination, less blinding but more frequent than the experiences of Dillard and Dante. I too am struck and go on ringing, and I am so addicted that neither the countless minor frustrations nor occasional stagnations can fully damp the memory and obsession with this ringing. Perhaps someday I will pick a problem that defies solution, search for years without finding, and finally claim that I really became a scientist because of motivations other than the thrill of insight. Or perhaps I will see “the tree with the lights in it.” For now, I go on ringing.
“I feel like shouting ‘Eureka!’, awakening the camp. But caution reasserting itself, I satisfy myself with a broad smile instead, and look overhead at the drifting clouds. I must try this out, see just how much of the universe’s known mechanism can be appreciated from this new viewpoint.” [Calvin, 1986]
