Some Poor grad student pressing on the flanks of a hamster and out comes a doctorate on the other side
Interpretation
Success often comes from persistent effort and creative problem-solving, even in the most unexpected situations.
This quote humorously illustrates the often arduous journey of academic pursuit, likening it to the whimsical notion of pressing on the flanks of a hamster to yield a doctoral degree. It highlights the challenges and absurdities faced by graduate students, suggesting that through determination and innovative approaches, they can achieve significant accomplishments, even if the path seems bizarre or unlikely.
In practice
This quote can be used at a graduation ceremony to inspire students about the unexpected paths to success.
I love science, and it pains me to think that so many are terrified of the subject or feel that choosing science means you cannot also choose compassion, or the arts, or be awed by nature. Science is not meant to cure us of mystery, but to reinvent and reinvigorate it.
We live well enough to have the luxury to get ourselves sick with purely social, psychological stress.
Most areas of intellectual life have discovered the virtues of speculation, and have embraced them wildly. In academia, speculation is usually dignified as theory.
If, in schools, we keep teaching that history is divided into American history and Chinese history and Russian history and Australian history, we're teaching kids that they are divided into tribes. And we're failing to teach them that we also, as human beings, share problems that we need to work together with.
I dream of a society that is continuously creating knowledge, where each individual is a part of this creation, where youngsters can pursue courses with freedom of choice, where technology is used for universal access of education and yet the importance of the Guru is retained.
Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet.
The book must of necessity be put into a bookcase. And the bookcase must be housed. And the house must be kept. And the library must be dusted, must be arranged, must be catalogued. What a vista of toil, yet not unhappy toil!
Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends.
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