--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know whether you have done your…" description: "\"I don't know whether you have done your calculations but, about two or three years back, I did a first assessment of what the first successful device w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/martin-fleischmann-26035_about_i-don-t-know-whether-you-have-done-your_2564013.jpg" --- # I don't know whether you have done your calculations but… ![“I don't know whether you have done your calculations but, about two or three years back, I did a first assessment of what the first successful device would be worth and it came out at about 300 trillion dollars.” quote by Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/martin-fleischmann-26035_about_i-don-t-know-whether-you-have-done-your_2564013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/martin-fleischmann-26035_about_i-don-t-know-whether-you-have-done-your_2564013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71e/martin-fleischmann-26035_about_i-don-t-know-whether-you-have-done-your_2564013.jpg) > “I don't know whether you have done your calculations but, about two or three years back, I did a first assessment of what the first successful device would be worth and it came out at about 300 trillion dollars.” [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Estimating the future value of a breakthrough technology yields astronomically high figures, highlighting speculative optimism in early tech forecasts. **In simple terms:** Early tech predictions can be wildly optimistic. Key Takeaway Treat bold forecasts with healthy skepticism. Themes optimism speculation technology Mood cautious analytical skeptical Type interview forecasting When to use this quote - investment decisions - policy planning - R&D budgeting - market analysis Key Concepts valuation future tech economic impact Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance optimism with realistic risk? - What methods improve valuation accuracy? A Different Perspective Overly optimistic estimates can mislead funding and expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [300 Trillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/300-trillion-1631259/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Assessment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assessment/) [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [Calculations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calculations/) [Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came/) [Came 300](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came-300-1631261/) [Device](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/device/) [Device Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/device-worth-1631260/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Three years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-years/) [Trillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trillion/) [Trillion Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trillion-dollars-380836/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Whether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whether/) [Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [When we're talking about a trillion dollars of taxpayer money, "trust me" just isn't good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/when-we-re-talking-about-a-trillion-dollars-of-taxpayer-money-trust/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [If you have a trillion dollars, you don't really have any problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrbeast/if-you-have-a-trillion-dollars-you-don-t-really-have-any-problems/) [MrBeast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mrbeast/) > [One of the simplest ways to get an idea of one trillion dollars is to consider the amount in terms of the passage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-davis/one-of-the-simplest-ways-to-get-an-idea-of-one-trillion-dollars-is-to/) [Geoff Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-davis/) > [At the state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao, Hu opened a fortune cookie that said, 'You will lend us another trillion dollars.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/at-the-state-dinner-for-chinese-president-hu-jintao-hu-opened-a/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [We need to spend a trillion dollars rebuilding our schools, our roads, our basic science and research here in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-need-to-spend-a-trillion-dollars-rebuilding-our-schools-our-roads/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Wisdom - Each day you wake up, know that your life is like a trillion dollars, use it wisely!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-warner/wisdom-each-day-you-wake-up-know-that-your-life-is-like-a-trillion/) [Pete Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-warner/) > [I used to say that if you gave me a trillion dollars to build a sentient or conscious machine I would give it back.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-j-russell/i-used-to-say-that-if-you-gave-me-a-trillion-dollars-to-build-a/) [Stuart J. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-j-russell/) > [It is a foregone opportunity that we could have a trillion dollars more of income for the United States if we were producing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-foregone-opportunity-that-we-could-have-a-trillion-dollars/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [OK, so $1 trillion is what it costs to run the federal government for one year. So this money's going to run through September…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-davis/ok-so-1-trillion-is-what-it-costs-to-run-the-federal-government-for/) [Susan Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-davis/) > [America is not better off than it was $1.8 trillion dollars ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/america-is-not-better-off-than-it-was-1-8-trillion-dollars-ago/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Dad was supportive, intelligent, read to me as a kid, left me a trillion dollars. It's hard to complain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-remender/dad-was-supportive-intelligent-read-to-me-as-a-kid-left-me-a-trillion/) [Rick Remender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-remender/) > [Obama and Biden want to raise taxes by a trillion dollars. Guess what? Yes we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/obama-and-biden-want-to-raise-taxes-by-a-trillion-dollars-guess-what/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [We could curtail private spending by several trillion dollars a year without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone. That would be more than enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-frank/we-could-curtail-private-spending-by-several-trillion-dollars-a-year/) [Robert H. Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-frank/) > [In speech after speech on his health care plan, the President has tried to convince us that what he is proposing will be good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-brown/in-speech-after-speech-on-his-health-care-plan-the-president-has/) [Scott Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-brown/) > [“To put a trillion dollars in context, if you spend a million dollars every day since Jesus was born, you still wouldn't have spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/to-put-a-trillion-dollars-in-context-if-you-spend-a-million-dollars/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) ## More by Martin Fleischmann > [It doesn't matter whether you can or cannot achieve high temperature superconductivity or fuel cells, they will always be on the list because if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/it-doesn-t-matter-whether-you-can-or-cannot-achieve-high-temperature/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [American science is much more organized, much more hierarchical than British science has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/american-science-is-much-more-organized-much-more-hierarchical-than/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [Scientists are really very conscious of the fact that they stand on the shoulders of an enormous tree of preceding workers and that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/scientists-are-really-very-conscious-of-the-fact-that-they-stand-on/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [Now Stan and I were still working in secret at that time but, because of this development, we had to inform the University of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/now-stan-and-i-were-still-working-in-secret-at-that-time-but-because/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [One of my theme songs is that if you can't do it in a test tube, don't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/one-of-my-theme-songs-is-that-if-you-can-t-do-it-in-a-test-tube-don-t/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [You see, I am a very conventional scientist, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/you-see-i-am-a-very-conventional-scientist-really/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [I have had this view of the optimization of the electrode design for a long time. Historically we went through various phases in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/i-have-had-this-view-of-the-optimization-of-the-electrode-design-for/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [Now, of course, cold fusion is the daddy of them all in a way, in terms of value, so I think that viewed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/now-of-course-cold-fusion-is-the-daddy-of-them-all-in-a-way-in-terms/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [Stan and I funded the first phase of the work ourselves. It was secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/stan-and-i-funded-the-first-phase-of-the-work-ourselves-it-was-secret/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [The problem is that replacement of Quantum Mechanics by Quantum Field Theory is still very demanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/the-problem-is-that-replacement-of-quantum-mechanics-by-quantum-field/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [If it had been anything else, we would have said, 'People don't want us to do it. Forget it. Let's just leave it alone.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/if-it-had-been-anything-else-we-would-have-said-people-don-t-want-us/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [Usually, if you have a new idea, you very rarely break through to anything like recognizable development or implementation of that idea the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/usually-if-you-have-a-new-idea-you-very-rarely-break-through-to/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [If you assume that it was a valid experiment, then its disintegration reveals a very substantial part of what has been found since then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/if-you-assume-that-it-was-a-valid-experiment-then-its-disintegration/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [It has been suggested at various times that I should start an operation in the United Kingdom but - bearing in mind my age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/it-has-been-suggested-at-various-times-that-i-should-start-an/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) > [So if I could just go back now to something which I am sure we should cover here regarding our original scenario: we have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-fleischmann/so-if-i-could-just-go-back-now-to-something-which-i-am-sure-we-should/) [Martin Fleischmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) [Explore all 22 Martin Fleischmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-fleischmann/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. 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