I think British science is becoming more like American science - and then there is everybody else, I'm afraid.

Usually, if you have a new idea, you very rarely break through to anything like recognizable development or implementation of that idea the first time around - it takes two or three goes for the research community to return to the topic.

I don't suppose I'll ever retire completely.

American science is much more organized, much more hierarchical than British science has been.

The problem is that replacement of Quantum Mechanics by Quantum Field Theory is still very demanding.

You see, I am a very conventional scientist, really.

It doesn't matter whether you can or cannot achieve high temperature superconductivity or fuel cells, they will always be on the list because if you could achieve them they would be extremely valuable.