A theorist in industry: can one fall between two stools and still land on one's feet?

摘要

Here are reminiscences of some of my interactions with Marshall Stoneham and my career in industry, and particularly of his timely support for my works and with some illustration of the importance of keeping a firm grasp on basic science to help see the wood from the trees in evaluating new technologies. It is interesting to see that fundamental theory established several decades ago needs to be further developed with some quite radical change of viewpoint when it is applied to new technology; and it is ironic that the impetus for such development of fundamental theory can be technological and commercial, rather than purely academic.