WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU INTERVIEW A NOBEL PRIZE
WINNER ON SUBJECTS OTHER THAN WHAT THEY WON THE PRIZE FOR
[From an interview by Dutch journalist Herbert Blankesteijn with Simon
van der Meer who received a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983 for his
contributions to the discovery of the W and Z subatomic particles.
What is your opinion about chewing gum?
A. Chewing gum? That's very useful to stick things together. If you have
a hole in your radiator, you can plug it with chewing gum.
Does a brisk cup of tea stimulate the thought processes?
A. No, I don't think so.
How about eating fish?
A. I'm not so enthusiastic about that. I don't do it too often.
Do you have any advice for young people who are entering the field?
A. What I would recommend to them is, if they have some idea - however
crazy it is - they should check up on it. Once in a hundred times it
will turn out to be a good idea.]