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At a given moment, the time may simply not be ripe to solve a particular problem. Progress on something else might be needed first, and the necessary clue might come from a different direction. In the case of quantum gravity, the unexpected direction was string theory.

— Edward Witten

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More quotes by Edward Witten

It would be silly to throw away the right answer because we don't like it.

Good wrong ideas are extremely scarce... and good wrong ideas that even remotely rival the majesty of string theory have never been seen.

It is very possible that a proper understanding of string theory will make the space-time continuum melt away.... String theory is a miracle through and through.

Generally speaking, all the really great ideas of physics are really spin-offs of string theory... Some of them were discovered first, but I consider that a mere accident of the development on planet earth.

It was clear that if I didn't spend the rest of my life concentrating on string theory, I would simply be missing my life's calling.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Edward Witten (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.