Scottish Engineer Quotes

James Watt

James Nasmyth

John Giannandrea

David Mushet

When once the idea of the separate condensation was started, all these improvements followed as corollaries in quick succession, so that in the course of one or two days the invention was thus far complete in my mind, and I immediately set about an experiment to verify it practically.

To you, of right, these pages must be inscribed, the fountain of their best thoughts, not as mere praise, but for the instruction of others, to record the charm of perfect companionship, proved by your example; the instinctive homage even of brutes before the magic of an amiable and generous heart, without a selfish trace... Were all hearts tuned like yours, an appeal to human justice would not be needed: — Then to your name a fitter title might be inscribed — the Wrongs of Animals ceased for ever, the dubious vestiges of Eden might become the certain foot-prints of our dialy practice; and cruelty and suffering known no more.

This leap into, "Somebody is going to produce a superhuman intelligence, and then there's going to be all these ethical issues" is unwarranted and borderline irresponsible. I'm definitely not worried about the AI apocalypse.

John Giannandrea

Only a certain probability remains of a one-to-one association of any spatial feature now with a similar feature a moment later. It is sheer luck, in a sense, that any physical apparatus stays put, for the laws of quantum mechanics allow it a finite, though small, probability of dispersing while one is not looking, or even while one is.

Lancelot Law Whyte

In course of time the Brothers Cowper removed the manufacture of their printing machines from London, to Manchester. There they found skilled and energetic workmen, ready to carry their plans into effect.