I have a little bit of down time today so I thought I would try and catch up a little bit... I had the opportunity to speak with a few Nobel laureates during my time in Lindau, and I asked each of them the same question: “what is the best advice you have ever received?” Walter Kohn (who received his prize for the development of DFT, something I use every day), said:

“ask for advice, but don’t necessarily follow it.”

He went on to comment that often times people disregard advice just to be different and others only follow advice and that both of those cases mean that you are not thinking for yourself.

Below is a photo of me talking with Kohn (courtesy of Sam Held).



I will post the responses of other Laureates as I receive the pictures of me speaking with them from the respective photographers.