Curiosity and exercising judgement

An exciting book based on John's work with British Olympiad team.

During the prep session on Monday morning, I overheard this:
JPC: You're not going away to use a computer, are you?
S: I am, sir.
JPC: Are you required to use a computer?
S: No, sir.
JPC: Why do you need it then?
S: Sir, I want to run a chemistry simulation on ...
JPS: Okie, dokie.
It would have been much easier to say no - especially as the conversation took place in the Mugging Hall with all Y1 and Y2 students present. Relenting also required (I dare say) changing you the initial attitude.


"I guess we are physicists because we like thinking about problems. Some people don't. But I do enjoy keeping an interesting problem in my mind for free time, or for holidays. I try to solve it then. And yes, sometimes we get caught thinking about one of them. You were thinking about physics weren't you?"
I am still not sure what makes a physicist, but I admit I have been guilty of thinking too much. Often. I quite like it, though.