MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

MIT's Building 20: The Magical Incubator Story, Anecdote, or Reminiscence

Progress is Not Always Monotonic

Edward M. Kerwin, Jr.

Late on a winter afternoon in the early 50's I was in the hallway outside the Acoustics Lab, waiting for my wife, Peg, to come down from DACL, where she worked. Down the hall came Doc Edgerton on his way home. I was sure he'd say something of Import ... of Discovery, Insight, Inspiration, Words-to-live-by, etc... He approached, I greeted him "Hi, Doc!" - and as he passed, he growled "Well, another day shot to hell!"

I understand ... even better now than I did then.