Does anyone know precisely where (what story, essay, or book) Asimov wrote the following quote:
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" ("I found it!") but rather, "hmm.... that's funny...."
I'm looking for a primary source, not all these internet references, most of which probably pull from the other.
Posted by snapper (Member # 7299) on :
Are you sure it is an Asimov quote? I do remember reading it before but attributed it to Niven or perhaps in one of Pournelle's essays. It's been a very long time though.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
I'm at a loss...sounds like something that might've been in one of his F & SF essays, but I don't remember seeing it.
Posted by WBSchmidt (Member # 8533) on :
When I type that full quote into Google I get several references to Issac Asimov. Some links are from sites I do not recognize so I dared not click them. However, one was snopes.com and another a college newsletter. Both of those mentioned Asimov.
Hope that helps.
--William
Posted by MrsBrown (Member # 5195) on :
Talk to a research desk librarian. Sometimes they love this sort of question.
Posted by Bent Tree (Member # 7777) on :
I am probably a month too late, but for what it's worth, Asmiov wrote "The Eureka Phenomenon," an essay apparently published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and reprinted in his collection of essays The Left Hand of the Electron.