For those familiar with American history, the first nine digits [of e] after the decimal point can be remembered by e = 2.7 (Andrew Jackson)2, or e = 2.718281828 …, because Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828. For those good in mathematics, on the other hand, this is a good way to remember their American history.

— Eli Maor, E

If, for example, the student of Newtonian dynamics ever discovers the meaning of terms like ‘force,’ ‘mass,’ ‘space,’ and ‘time,’ he does so less from the incomplete though sometimes helpful definitions in his text than by observing and participating in the application of these concepts to problem-solution.

— Thomas S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

In postmodernism we find metaphysical antirealism, epistemological subjectivity, the placing of feeling at the root of all value issues, the consequent relativism of both knowledge and values, and the consequent devaluing or disvaluing of the scientific enterprise.

— Stephen R. C. Hicks, Explaining Postmodernism

Economics teaches you that making a choice means giving up something. And economics can help you appreciate complexity and how seemingly unrelated actions and people can become entangled.

— Russ Roberts, How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life

Great scientists tolerate ambiguity very well. They believe the theory enough to go ahead; they doubt it enough to notice the errors and faults so they can … create [its] replacement. If you believe too much you’ll never notice the flaws; if you doubt too much you won’t get started. It requires a lovely balance.

— Richard Hamming, You and Your Research