When the most abstract and "useless" disciplines have been cultivated for a time, they are often seized upon as practical tools by other departments of science. I conceive that this is no accident, as if one bought a top hat for a wedding, and discovered later when a fire broke out, that it could be used as a water bucket.


The World of Mathematics (ed. Courier Corporation, 2000) - ISBN: 9780486411521

James Roy Newman Quotes

When the most abstract and useless disciplines have been cultivated for a time, they are often seized upon as practical tools by other departments of ...

When the most abstract and useless disciplines have been cultivated for a time, they are often seized upon as practical tools by other departments of ...

When the most abstract and useless disciplines have been cultivated for a time, they are often seized upon as practical tools by other departments of ...

When the most abstract and useless disciplines have been cultivated for a time, they are often seized upon as practical tools by other departments of ...