Simon van der Meer quotes

Above all, it's creative thinking that lies at the basis of discoveries. You must dare to think differently, see things from different sides, in order to come across fortuitous new ideas frequently. You should develop even the most stupid ideas and when you do this systematically, there will always come something useful out of it. (Simon van der Meer)
After developing a primitive theory (1968) I therefore did not pursue this subject. However, the work was taken up by others and in 1974 the first experiments were done in the ISR. View quote
Simon van der Meer
I visited the Gymnasium in The Hague and passed my final examination (in the sciences section) in 1943. View quote
Simon van der Meer
Nevertheless, if I have at times been able to make original contributions in the accelerator field, I cannot help feeling that to a certain extent my slightly amateur approach in physics, combined with much practical experience, was an asset. View quote
Simon van der Meer
My father was a schoolteacher and my mother came from a teacher's family. View quote
Simon van der Meer
Under these conditions it is not astonishing that learning was highly prized; in fact, my parents made sacrifices to be able to give their children a good education. View quote
Simon van der Meer
My interest in matters more directly concerned with the handling of particles was growing, in the meantime, stimulated by many contacts with people understanding accelerators. View quote
Simon van der Meer
At this time, my work on the SPS power supplies had just come to an end; I joined a study group on the pp project and an experimental team studying cooling in a small ring (ICE). View quote
Simon van der Meer