From a long view of the history of mankind, seen from, say, ten thousand years from now, there can be little doubt that the most significant event of the 19th century will be judged as Maxwell's discovery of the laws of electrodynamics. The American Civil War will pale into provincial insignificance in comparison with this important scientific event of the same decade.

The test of all knowledge is experiment.

The thing that doesn't fit is the thing that is most interesting.

Victory usually goes to those green enough to underestimate the monumental hurdles they are facing.

If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives.

It is simple, therefore it is beautiful

If you keep proving stuff that others have done, getting confidence, increasing the complexities of your solutions - for the fun of it - then one day you'll turn around and discover that nobody actually did that one! And that's the way to become a computer scientist.