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Charles TownesWe appreciate what Lucent Technologies has done in putting on this party for all of us. There are many aspects of science which are really most enjoyable. One of them is that once we understand something, it's so obvious. And it's a part of our civilization and part of all of us from then on. Science contributes. If it's something that's right, it keeps going, it's obvious. We build on it. ![[ Charles Townes at the
microphone, with Arthur Schawlow ]](../images/party_townes.jpeg)
The other aspect is really the sociology of science. Any one idea is limited in a sense with any one person, but the interaction between people is what builds it, and all of you have contributed so much and made this field grow, made it what it is -- seeing new possibilities. That growth depends in part also on personal interactions, the trading of ideas, discussions back and forth, everybody adding a little bit more, seeing something new. I've picked up suggestions from I don't know how many people. I'm reminded of the kind of situation illustrated by Nico Bloembergen's invention of the three-level maser. Nico went over to MIT and heard Woody Sternberg talking about using spins to produce maser amplification, and Nico was sitting there in the seminar and he said, "Well, why in the world would you want to do that? What's the purpose of doing that?" And Woody said, "Well, look, this will be the most sensitive amplifier in the world." "Oh," he said. Now, he was working on paramagnetic materials and he went home and quickly we had the three-level maser. And that's the way things happen. We interact. The sociology of science is a very important part of it. All of you have contributed so much, and the field is growing because of these contributions, additional insights, and other things which get added on. The field grows and grows. It's still young, and we can look forward to many more years of wonderful exploration. [ END ] [main] Speakers in this Section |
