Chemistry Quote by Kurt Mendelssohn
““ Dewar 's rule in his laboratory was as absolute as that of a Pharaoh, and he showed deference to no one except the ghost of Faraday whom he met occasionally all night in the gallery behind the lecture room.””
About This Quote
James Dewar ruled his lab like a king, only showing respect to the ghost of scientist Michael Faraday, whom he imagined meeting at night.
In simple terms: A bossy scientist only listened to a ghost.
Key Takeaway
Respect the greats who came before you.
Themes
authority
science
reverence
legacy
eccentricity
Mood
awe
intrigue
nostalgic
Type
anecdotal
historical
character portrait
When to use this quote
- leadership in research
- mentorship
- workplace culture
Key Concepts
scientific legacy
authority and deference
mythology in science
Questions to Reflect On
- How does reverence for past scientists shape current research?
- Can absolute authority be good for science?
A Different Perspective
This romanticizes isolation; modern science thrives on collaboration, not solitary rule.
![“Underneath his sweetness and gentleness was the heat of a volcano. [Michael Faraday] was a man of excitable and fiery nature; but through high self-discipline he had converted the fire into a central glow and motive power of life, instead of permitting it to waste itself in useless passion.” quote by John Tyndall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/185/john-tyndall-33806_discipline_underneath-his-sweetness-and-gentleness_2620116.jpg)
![“To him [Faraday], as to all true philosophers, the main value of a fact was its position and suggestiveness in the general sequence of scientific truth.” quote by John Tyndall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2ae/john-tyndall-33806_fact_to-him-faraday-as-to-all-true-philosophe_479803.jpg)
![“His [Faraday's] third great discovery is the Magnetization of Light, which I should liken to the Weisshorn among mountains-high, beautiful, and alone.” quote by John Tyndall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d05/john-tyndall-33806_discovery_his-faraday-s-third-great-discovery-is-t_1290958.jpg)
![“To what part of electrical science are we not indebted to Faraday? He has increased our knowledge of the hidden and unknown to such an extent, that all subsequent writers are compelled so frequently to mention his name and quote his papers, that the very repetition becomes monotonous. [How]…” quote by Alfred Smee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f02/alfred-smee-82261_acknowledge_to-what-part-of-electrical-science-are-w_1095021.jpg)
