Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site nbs-amrf.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!nbs-amrf!hopp
From: hopp@nbs-amrf.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc,net.jokes
Subject: wanted: quotation source
Message-ID: <128@nbs-amrf.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Dec-83 14:51:36 EST
Article-I.D.: nbs-amrf.128
Posted: Fri Dec 16 14:51:36 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Dec-83 03:13:07 EST
Organization: National Bureau of Standards
Lines: 14

Does anyone know who coined the phrase:

     "Basic research is what I do when I don't know what I'm doing"

I am fairly sure it was one of the early 20th century physicists, possibly
Neils Bohr.  Do I have the quote exactly right?  Also, when and where was 
this phrase first uttered/written?  If anyone shows an interest, I will 
post the correct citation (as determined by majority vote of responses 
and/or confirmation from an authoritative source) to net.misc.  Replies to:

Ted Hopp
National Bureau of Standards
(UUCP: umcp-cs!nbs-amrf!hopp)
(ARPA: hopp.nbs-amrf.umcp-cs@udel-relay)