Necessity is not the mother of invention. Knowledge and experiment are its parents. It sometimes happens that successful search is made for unknown materials to fill well-recognized and predetermined requirements. It more often happens that the acquirement of knowledge of… — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share
“Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do something, when all they need is one reason why they can.” — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
Somebody is always reflectively monkeying with some of the parts of an infinite universe - monkeying as distinct from aping. — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
In the advance of civilization, it is new knowledge which paves the way, and the pavement is eternal. — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
The regularity with which we conclude that further advances in a particular field are impossible seems equaled only by the regularity with which events prove that we are of too limited vision. And it always seems to be those who have the fullest opportunity to know who are the most limited in view. What, then, is the trouble? I think… — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share
Necessity is not the mother of invention. Knowledge and experiment are its parents. It sometimes happens that successful search is made for unknown materials to fill well-recognized and predetermined requirements. It more often happens that the acquirement of knowledge of the previously unknown properties of a material suggests its trial for some new use. These facts strongly indicate the value… — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share
Our immediate interests are after all of but small moment. It is what we do for the future, what we add to the sum… — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
I happen to be a kind of monkey. I have a monkeylike curiosity that makes me want to feel, smell, and taste things which… — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
The valuable attributes of research men are conscious ignorance and active curiosity. — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
A persistent and age-old instinct makes us want to wander Into regions yet untrod And read what is still unread In the manuscripts of… — Willis R. Whitney Copy Share Image
