“I couldn’t reduce it to the freshman level. That means we really don’t understand it. If you can’t explain something to a first-year student, then you haven’t really understood it. I don’t believe I can really do without teaching. The reason is, I have to have something so that when I don’t have any ideas and I’m not getting anywhere I can say to myself, ‘At least I’m living; at least I’m doing something; I am making some contribution.’”

— Richard Feynman

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. The development of general ability for independent thinking and judgement should always be placed foremost, not the acquisition of special knowledge. It is not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

— Albert Einstein