A quote reproduced all over the internet, and attributed to Asimov.
<< The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, '... that's funny...' >>
Did Asimov really say that? If so, which essay or article has this saying? If not, does anyone know the real origin?
> A quote reproduced all over the internet, and attributed to Asimov.
> << The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that > heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, > '... that's funny...' >>
> Did Asimov really say that? If so, which essay or article has > this saying? If not, does anyone know the real origin?
Yes, it's genuine, but I can't give the exact spot it occurs. It's in one of his science essays, I'm pretty sure.
>A quote reproduced all over the internet, and attributed to Asimov.
> << The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that > heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, > '... that's funny...' >>
> Did Asimov really say that? If so, which essay or article has > this saying? If not, does anyone know the real origin?
>> << The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that >> heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, >> '... that's funny...' >>
>> Did Asimov really say that? If so, which essay or article has >> this saying? If not, does anyone know the real origin?
Yes, as I say in my OP, the quote is all over the internet and attributed to Asimov. But these lists of quotes often are poorly researched and frequently contain misquotes, wrong attributions or apocryphal quotes. Often the author of one list of quotes has simply copied from another, which then gets copied to another, and so on. The error propagates from one list to another. Just because it appears on a lot of lists does not prove he actually said it. That's why I want to know the original source.
"Ron Miel" <dont_sp@m_me.com> writes: >Yes, as I say in my OP, the quote is all over the internet and >attributed to Asimov. But these lists of quotes often are poorly >researched and frequently contain misquotes, wrong attributions or >apocryphal quotes. Often the author of one list of quotes has simply >copied from another, which then gets copied to another, and so on. >The error propagates from one list to another. Just because it appears >on a lot of lists does not prove he actually said it. That's why I want to >know the original source.
I know how frustrating it can be. But if it helps any, the same question was asked here in 2001, and everyone agreed it was most assurdly an essay from Fantasy and Science Fiction, but everyone had their Asimov books packed away at the moment (a sorry state I find myself in right now), and one suggested that maybe in five years or so there'd be a definitive answer. Of course, the question was asked also in 1999, 1998, 1997, 1994, and 1993.
So naturally you're in the right place at the right time: the May 2001 go-round was able to at least rule out The Edge of Tomorrow, The Atom, and The Neutrino, and one person believed that it was in a book published before #70, The Neutrino: http://groups.google.com.sg/group/rec.arts.sf.written/browse_frm/thre...
(Yeah, I could probably trim that. Shame that I won't.)
This is less than satisfying, admittedly, but at least we have *some* basis to start a search.
-- Joseph Nebus --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
In <nebusj.1166528...@vcmr-86.server.rpi.edu> nebu...@-rpi-.edu (Joseph Nebus) writes:
>their Asimov books packed away at the moment (a sorry state I find >myself in right now), and one suggested that maybe in five years or >so there'd be a definitive answer. Of course, the question was asked >also in 1999, 1998, 1997, 1994, and 1993.
The first time was by a bunch of drunken programmers....
-- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dan...@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
Joseph Nebus wrote: > I know how frustrating it can be. But if it helps any, the > same question was asked here in 2001, and everyone agreed it was most > assurdly an essay from Fantasy and Science Fiction, but everyone had > their Asimov books packed away at the moment (a sorry state I find > myself in right now), and one suggested that maybe in five years or > so there'd be a definitive answer. Of course, the question was asked > also in 1999, 1998, 1997, 1994, and 1993.
Since I'm one of the people who actually makes that quote, sorry to say, and I do *not* have all my Asimov books (including all of the F&SF essay collections) packed away, I spent some time last night looking for it. I did not find it. I'm going to continue looking, though I was never really convinced it was in one of those essays.
I also have the twenty uncollected essays that came after The Secret of the Universe. I'll look there, too.
>>Yes, as I say in my OP, the quote is all over the internet and >>attributed to Asimov. But these lists of quotes often are poorly >>researched and frequently contain misquotes, wrong attributions or >>apocryphal quotes. Often the author of one list of quotes has simply >>copied from another, which then gets copied to another, and so on. >>The error propagates from one list to another. Just because it appears >>on a lot of lists does not prove he actually said it. That's why I want to >>know the original source.
> I know how frustrating it can be. But if it helps any, the > same question was asked here in 2001, and everyone agreed it was most > assurdly an essay from Fantasy and Science Fiction, but everyone had > their Asimov books packed away at the moment (a sorry state I find > myself in right now), and one suggested that maybe in five years or > so there'd be a definitive answer. Of course, the question was asked > also in 1999, 1998, 1997, 1994, and 1993.
> So naturally you're in the right place at the right time: the > May 2001 go-round was able to at least rule out The Edge of Tomorrow, > The Atom, and The Neutrino, and one person believed that it was in a > book published before #70, The Neutrino: > http://groups.google.com.sg/group/rec.arts.sf.written/browse_frm/thre...
> (Yeah, I could probably trim that. Shame that I won't.)
> This is less than satisfying, admittedly, but at least we have > *some* basis to start a search.
> -- > Joseph Nebus > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
Interesting... in 2001 googling <<funny, Asimov, Eureka>> gave 1,500 hits Today it gives 53,300 hits. Give it another 5 years and it will give a million hits, all of them unattributed.
On Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:13:19 GMT, in alt.books.isaac-asimov, "Ron Miel"
<dont_sp@m_me.com> wrote:
<Snip>
>Interesting... in 2001 googling <<funny, Asimov, Eureka>> gave 1,500 hits >Today it gives 53,300 hits. Give it another 5 years and it will give a >million hits, >all of them unattributed.
"I didn't really say everything I said." -- Yogi Berra
danny burstein <dan...@panix.com> writes: >In <nebusj.1166528...@vcmr-86.server.rpi.edu> nebu...@-rpi-.edu (Joseph Nebus) writes: >>their Asimov books packed away at the moment (a sorry state I find >>myself in right now), and one suggested that maybe in five years or >>so there'd be a definitive answer. Of course, the question was asked >>also in 1999, 1998, 1997, 1994, and 1993. >The first time was by a bunch of drunken programmers....
Ha!
But maybe it was ...
At least we can figure the start of a search, though -- earlier searches find the quote is strangely enough not in ``The Eureka Phenomenon'', which would have been my guess. The most sensible context for the quote is one in which Asimov talks about the role of luck and preparedness on the scientific mind; therefore I wouldn't be surprised if it came from a biography of Louis Pasteur or a similar ``phenomenally lucky'' scientist who kept following those funny little anomalies. While I don't know of any classification of Asimov's science essays -- not just for Fantasy and Science fiction, mind -- that discusses theme like that, they shouldn't be hard to pick out in context.
The only piece of fiction it seems like it might have shown up in would be the earlier, science-history scenes of ``The Gods Themselves'', which rather heavily show the role of luck and nagging anomalies in the progress of science.
Failing that, the other context in which this seems likely to be said by Asimov -- assuming it was said -- would be in a letter written to a person asking how great discoveries are made. Thus, ``Yours, Isaac Asimov'' is another likely place to look.
So, how's that sound as a focusing of targets?
-- Joseph Nebus --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---
Ron Miel wrote: > A quote reproduced all over the internet, and attributed to Asimov.
> << The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that > heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, > '... that's funny...' >>
> Did Asimov really say that? If so, which essay or article has > this saying? If not, does anyone know the real origin?
Its been a while since I've posted on this group. I KNOW I've read this quote, somewhere... But I'll be hanged if I remember where.
I am searching. I am currently reading all of Dr A's books (some of you know I own every one of them). I am now reading #234. However, This question was first asked of me when I was in the 70's. So it might be before then. However, it could also be in any number of introductions, articles, and editorials (has anyone perused the intros to IASFM?). If even not there, he had numerous letters, and personal presentations, so it may not be in any of his written work.
Has this now become "The Last Question"?
I am sorry, but there is "Insufficient Data for a Meaningful Answer"
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