Leo Szilard

“A scientist's aim in a discussion with his colleagues is not to persuade, but to clarify.”

“We turned the switch, saw the flashes, watched for ten minutes, then switched everything off and went home. That night I knew the world was headed for sorrow.”

“Do your work for six years; but in the seventh, go into solitude or among strangers, so that the memory of your friends does not hinder you from being what you have become.”

“Don't lie if you don't have to.”

“I'm all in favor of the democratic principle that one idiot is as good as one genius, but I draw the line when someone takes the next step and concludes that two idiots are better than one genius.”

“If one knows only what one is told, one does not know enough to be able to arrive at a well-balanced decision.”

“If you want to succeed in the world, you don't have to be much cleverer than other people. You just have to be one day earlier.”

“Pronouncement of experts to the effect that something cannot be done has always irritated me.”