I learned one of my most important lessons in life here—but not in the classroom. I was a research assistant to Dr. Shina Inoue. I assisted him with a polarizing microscope he was developing, and once complained about the awkwardness of the focus mechanism. Two days later he handed me a gadget that completely eliminated the cause of my complaints. It was a sophisticated, not-at-all-obvious solution, and I asked how he came up with that solution. He explained that he simply believed there must be a good solution and worked at it until he found it. “I don’t understand,” I replied. He asked me, “Can you balance a raw egg on end?” “Sure. Just sprinkle salt on the counter and the egg can be balanced,” I replied. “No, no. No tricks. A raw egg—balanced on a steady tabletop” “No, I do not think it can be done. I’ve tried it before without success,” I replied. He took a deep breath, looked me in the eye, and asked whether I trusted him. “Of course.” “Well, then trust me when I tell you it is quite possible to balance a raw egg on end, no tricks. Now, go to the biology refrigerator down the hall, get an egg, bring it back here, and try it,” he demanded. It took me less than a minute of trying to balance that egg, because I had perfect confidence it could be done. That lesson has guided me so many times in my life, in so many important ways.

. . . Some people attack each new problem with a vengeance. This is particularly evident in successful new start-ups where every employee is gung-ho and enthusiastic. Some big companies manage to maintain a culture where this enthusiasm thrives, while others ossify into what I call the “twenty reasons why it cannot be done” syndrome. Don’t be one of those people. They are for hire by the dozens, while the person who consistently figures out how to get something done is a rarity, is more highly rewarded, and has more job satisfaction.

Paul F. Forman ’56, co-founder of Zygo Corporation, Distinguished Alumnus Award (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences ceremony)