A Belief May Be Larger

Putting A Man In Space Is A Stunt: The Man Can Do No More Than An Instrument, In Fact Can Do Less. There Are Far More Serious Things To Do Than Indulge In Stunts. . . . I Do Not Discard Completely The Value Of Demonstrating To The World Our Skills. Nor Do I Undervalue The Effect On Morale Of The Spectacular. But The Present Hullabaloo On The Propaganda Aspects Of The Program Leaves Me Entirely Cool.

Science Has A Simple Faith, Which Transcends Utility. Nearly All Men Of Science, All Men Of Learning For That Matter, And Men Of Simple Ways Too, Have It In Some Form And In Some Degree. It Is The Faith That It Is The Privilege Of Man To Learn To Understand, And That This Is His Mission. If We Abandon That Mission Under Stress We Shall Abandon It Forever, For Stress Will Not Cease. Knowledge For The Sake Of Understanding, Not Merely To Prevail, That Is The Essence Of Our Being. None Can Define Its Limits, Or Set Its Ultimate Boundaries.

Give These People Money, Let Them Play, And They'll Come Up With Something.

As Long As Scientists Are Free To Pursue The Truth Wherever It May Lead, There Will Be A Flow Of New Scientific Knowledge To Those Who Can Apply It To Practical Problems.

The Question Of Whether A Device Will Come Into Being Depends Upon Three Things: First, Whether There Is A Practical Use For It That Warrants Its Development And Manufacturing Costs; Second, Whether The Laws Of Physics Applying To The Elements Available For Its Design Allow The Attainment Of The Needed Ranges, Sensitivities, Or The Like; And Third, Whether The Pertinent Art Of Manufacture Has Advanced Sufficiently To Allow A Useful Embodiment To Be Built Successfully.