Santiago Ramón y Cajal

1852–1934 · Spanish scientist

Topics: learning, science, creativity

• In summary, there are no small problems. Problems that appear small are large problems that are not understood (p. 17).

  — Santiago Ramón y Cajal

• Instead of elaborating on accepted principles, let us simply point out that for the last hundred years the natural sciences have abandoned completely the Aristotelian principles of intuition, inspiration, and dogmatism.

  — Santiago Ramón y Cajal

• Knowing the conditions under which a phenomenon occurs allows us to reproduce or eliminate it at will, therefore allowing us to control and use it for the benefit of humanity. Foresight and action are the advantages we obtain from a deterministic view of phenomena.

  — Santiago Ramón y Cajal

• It is important to note that the most brilliant discoveries have not relied on a formal knowledge of logic. Instead, their discoverers have had an acute inner logic that generates ideas with the same unstudied unconsciousness that allowed Jourdain to create prose.

  — Santiago Ramón y Cajal

• Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain ( p. xv).

  — Santiago Ramón y Cajal