I believe this all has to do with how I decide to perceive the experience. Pain is part of life and makes you who you are meant to be. I just let it flow through me, at whatever rate it decides to do so. Then I go to the hockey rink and hit a few slap shots.

I studied engineering at MIT. There, the late, great physicist Philip Morrison introduced me to the idea that, in any system, there exists the inevitability that an event will occur which is completely unrelated to anything that preceded it. It completely changed my perception of "impossible."

I have been involved with science and math education my whole life. My hope is to continue to promote the love of these beautiful disciplines to the next generation.

I have an elaborate wind-down ritual, which combines reading, ESPN, movies, and jamming the blues on my keyboard. There's still a part of me that's a little kid who is psyched because I no longer have a bedtime!

Chaos is a natural state of being - as natural as structure is - so there is no reason to fear it. On the contrary, one should embrace it. It means something extraordinary and unexpected is about to happen.

Like everyone else, I get swept along just trying to keep up with that endlessly growing to-do list, but I do my best to treat the day as one big meditation or symphony.

I love that moment when I feel a connection to another person, however brief or insignificant. I am always inspired by anything created by someone trying to overcome great obstacles. Good tunes never hurt, either.