Carlo Beenakker Quotes

Carlo Beenakker: 4 quotes0 likes

Famous Carlo Beenakker Quotes

“Those who really solve mathematical puzzles are the physicists.”

In Interview with Professor Carlo Beenakker. Interviewers: Ramy El-Dardiry and Roderick Knuiman (February 1, 2006).
Context: … mathematicians are much more concerned for example with the structure behind something or with the whole edifice. Mathematicians are not really puzzlers. Those who really solve mathematical puzzles are the physicists. If you like to solve mathematical puzzles, you should not study mathematics but physics!

“In physics you have a bit of everything: you need to be good at solving puzzles, but you also need to see the big picture, to separate important from unimportant things, to quickly understand new materials and quickly see the essence of a paper.”

Carlo Beenakker

In Interview with Professor Carlo Beenakker. Interviewers: Ramy El-Dardiry and Roderick Knuiman (February 1, 2006).

“… (a flash of insight) never comes by itself, in the sense that it comes effortless. You really need to work for it. There is a good proverb that says "fortuity helps the prepared mind." Insight will come by chance, but you only get it if you are prepared. Insight doesn't come by its own.”

Carlo Beenakker

... (een flits van inzicht) komt nooit vanzelf, in de zin dat je er geen moeite voor hoeft te doen. Je moet je er echt wel voor inspannen. Er is een mooi spreekwoord voor: “toeval schiet de voorbereide geest te hulp”.
Zo’n inzicht komt wel toevallig, maar je krijgt het alleen als je bent voorbereid. Het inzicht komt niet vanzelf.
In Interview with Professor Carlo Beenakker. Interviewers: Ramy El-Dardiry and Roderick Knuiman (February 1, 2006).

“In mesoscopic physics, you really need to build up intuition, because it is not the world you know.”

Carlo Beenakker

In Interview with Professor Carlo Beenakker http://www.natuurkunde.nl/artikelen/view.do?supportId=822985. Interviewers: Ramy El-Dardiry and Roderick Knuiman (February 1, 2006).