a Pete B snip followed by > my little story.. 

"Scientific progress is serendipitous," Ooguri says.
These silly questions are key to progress in fundamental sciences. Unlike other fields, such as applied science where researchers work towards a specific goal, the first question or idea a theoretical physicist comes up with is usually not the right one, Ooguri says. But, through discussion, other researchers ask questions derived from their curiosity, taking the research in a new direction 

> My father in law (still alive and still pretty cognitively alert) documented the first NMR signal while completing his PHD at Stanford University right after WWII.  He would go on to work with and for another physics student Russell Varian as head of research at Varian and Associates.  

>The story of this first NMR signal is pretty interesting in that there were some visiting friends (physics types) showed up one weekend and in checking the equipment on a Sunday someone suggested to !0X the power input.  Boom the first NMR signal showed up on the ocliyscope and it's signal turned up being just opposite of what the theoretical physic professor predicted.

>A bit later on my father in law (then head of research at Varian) would also in charge of housing for visiting scientist and he would house these folks together so that they could more easily 'walk across the hall and chat after work and pose 'silly question' to one another.  Some interest innovation came out of these 'silly question' as well as chit chat around the company coffee pot.  I am pretty certain my father in law would agree with OOguri thinking...

Gene in Central Texas.  

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