Existing comment:
"I have sometimes almost wished it had been my Destiny to be born two or three Centuries hence. For Inventions of Improvement are prolific, and beget more of their Kind. The present Progress is rapid. Many of great Importance, now unthought of, will before that Period be procur'd; and then I might not only enjoy their Advantages, but have my Curiosity satisfy'd in knowing what they are to be."
–– Benjamin Franklin to Rev. John Lathrop, 1788
"Far more engaging than the icon, the historical Franklin is so accessible and such fun! Everyone should consider his devotion to public service, examine his astute diplomacy, admire his skillful writing and irrepressible wit, repeat and enjoy some of his simple experiments, trace the reception and legacy of his ideas and discoveries. Doing so would help students and citizens understand how earnest pursuit of intense curiosity and social compassion reshape human culture -- in his time, in ours, and beyond."
-- - Dudley Herschbach, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry), 2005 |