I think people believe in heaven because they don’t like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don’t like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish.
Breakthroughs happen when you connect the dots others overlook.
I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people's minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing.
Persistence is key in mathematical research; many great results come from looking at the same problem from different angles over and over again.