Some years ago， off North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras， scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology took part in a search for the sunken Civil War ironclad Monitor. They hoped to pinpoint its precise location with a sonar device， but failed.
“What a waste，” one scientist said. “We didn’t find anything.”“What do you mean， we didn’t find anything？” a cheery voice spoke up. It belonged to Harold Edgerton， the inventor of the sonar device. “We found it wasn’t there.”
That was “Doc，” forever the optimist. He took almost perverse① pleasure in an experience that went awry. “Oh， boy，” he’d mutter brightly. “Now we’re really going to learn something.”
A tireless inventor， he held 47 patents， not only for sonar equipment but for deep-sea color cameras and lighting systems， as well as for his most recognized contribution to our life today： high-speed photography with electronic flash. He devised the strobe light—a brilliant， rapid flash created by passing electrical current through a vacuum tube filled with xenon gas. Doc called it “God Almighty’s lightning in a container.” On cameras and skyscrapers， along airport runways， in copiers and automotive engine timers—it was all Doc’s doing.
In exposures down to a millionth of a second he used the strobe to photograph bullets cutting through playing cards， the graceful coronet made by a drop of milk on impact， a humming bird sculpture② in flight. Thanks to Doc’s pioneering pictures， we know that a cat laps milk with both sides of its tongue， that bats catch prey with their tail membranes， and that aim isn’t affected by the kick of a pistol， because the kick doesn’t set in until after the bullet has left the barrel.
Through the years， Doc’s dazzling pictures have become classics of science and modern art. The Museum of Modern Art has hung them almost as consistently③ as Picasso paintings.
“Don’t make me out an artist，” Doc would say. “ I’m an engineer.” Still， he discarded dozens of photos of that milk drop before he got one with crown points that were esthetically pleasing. Though he complained that he never produced a perfect one， he had post cards of the photo printed in bulk， and he handed them out to everyone he met.
Most of all， Doc was that priceless rarity， the teacher you remember all your life. To him， sharing knowledge meant working together in discovery—and never mind the ego④. One of his students remembers him proudly showing off a new idea on automatic strobe flashing. Doc gave his famous crooked grin and arched his eyebrow. “That’s a fine idea.” He said. Only later did the student learn that Doc had originated the concept years before.
The world was Doc’s laboratory. His energy was so high he often slid down three floors of banisters from his office. “If you don’t wake up at three in the morning and want to do something，” Doc liked to say， “you’re wasting time.”
① perverseadj. 故意作对的，反常的
② sculpturen. 雕刻品，雕塑品，雕像
③ consistentlyadv. 一贯地，反复无常地
④ egon. 自我意识
博士埃格顿
数年以前，在距离北卡罗来纳州海特拉角不远的地方，麻省理工学院的科学家们来到这里寻找内战时期沉没的铁甲舰。他们希冀在声纳装置的帮助下可以确定它的准确定位，但是却失败了。
一位科学家说道：“我们这是在浪费时间，结果却什么都没有找到。”但是这个时候一个非常欢快的声音传来，“你那是什么意思，我们什么都没有找到吗？”这个声音来自于声纳装置的发明人——哈罗德·埃格顿教授，他说道：“我们只是发现它不在那里。”
那就是“博士”，一位永久的乐观主义者。他总是对一些有偏差的试验抱着近乎反常的乐观态度。此时，他轻声嘟哝着说“哦，伙计，此刻我们正在真正的学习着一些事情。”
作为一位永远不知疲惫的发明家，他拥有47项专利，不但包括声纳设备，还包括深海彩色照相机和照明系统，并且对人们的今天生活做出的家喻户晓的巨大贡献：那就是带电子闪光灯的高速摄影技术。他设计出了一种可以使电流通过充满氙气的真空管而产生明亮快闪的灯光，即电子闪光灯。博士将其叫做：”管道中神灵的闪电。“在相机上以及摩天大厦上，在机场的高速跑道边，在复印机和自动引擎计数器里，全部都凝结着博士的心血结晶。
在灯百万分之一秒的曝光下，他使用电子闪光拍摄下子弹穿过纸牌的瞬间时刻，一滴牛奶下落时所造就的那种优美的冠冕之姿，以及嗡嗡的飞鸟在空中滑翔时的轨迹。正是由于博士先见之明的那些照片，人们才知道猫是用舌头的两侧来舐食牛奶的，而蝙蝠则要靠其尾部薄膜去捕获猎物，同时还有，因为子弹在离开枪膛后，后坐力才会产生，所以目标才不会遭到子弹后坐力的影响。
数年以来，博士那些令人炫目的照片已经变成了科学与现代艺术的典型之作。现代的艺术博物馆几乎已经将它们与毕加索的绘画悬挂在相同级别的位置上。
博士总会说：“别把我当成一位艺术家，我仅仅是个工程师而已。”但是，在他拍成那幅让人满意的冠冕之前，他曾经丢掉了数十张牛奶下落的照片。虽然他埋怨说从来没有拍摄出一幅完美的作品，但是他仍然拥有大量的印着这幅照片的明信片，而且经常将他们送给每个与之相逢的人。
至关重要的是，博士就是那种难能可贵、令你终生铭记的老师。对他来讲，分享知识就意味着要在摸索中齐心协力共同工作——而从不考虑自我。他的一个学生记得：自己曾经向他炫耀过一个有关自动电子闪光灯的新注意。博士这时候露出了他广为人知的咧笑以及皱成了弧形的眉头。他说：“这是个非常好的想法。”这个学生仅仅是到以后才知道，在几年前博士就已经酝酿了这个念头。
世界就是博士的实验室。他总是精力充沛，以至于经常从三层楼上的办公室沿楼梯扶手滑下来。博士喜欢说：“如果在清晨三点钟，你还不能够起床去做些什么的话，那么你就是在浪费大好时光。”