It led to Franklin's invention of the lightning rod and to his subsequent election as a member of the prestigious Royal Society of Sciences of London. You put it out at the end of a string of hope, while you run like hell. Tattered rags hang on to your tail. And only when the wind is blowing just right do you experience the thrill of flight and success. I have experienced the distress of failure many times and survived.
Failures can provide valuable lessons.
By taking risks one makes progress. I was never averse to taking risks. As some of you may know, a classmate, Glen Joseph, working for a local fruit growers association, approached me at Caltech for help in measuring the acidity of lemon juice that had been heavily dosed with sulfur dioxide. Active research and development programs leading to new discoveries are essential for the growth and continuing visibility of any company that hopes to remain competitive in today's global economy. Unfortunately, scientific discovery, once the pride of our nation, is now relegated to the back pages of the dailies.