Now I’ll Have Fewer Distractions — Euler’s Story

I recently read a sad, yet inspiring, story of how Euler lost his eyesight. Leonhard Euler (1707-1783) was a Swiss mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and logician who made important contributions to many areas of mathematics and science.

Sadly, at some point in his life, Euler started losing his vision, and this condition progressively got worse. Despite this situation, Euler did not get discouraged. In fact, he considered that an opportunity to focus more and work more productively. As legend has it, he remarked on his loss of vision, stating "Now I will have fewer distractions."

With his condition having little effect on his productivity, Euler's productivity increased (with the help of his scribes,). It is reported that at some point, he produced, on average, one mathematical paper every week. He remains one of the greatest mathematicians of all time and is known for his prolific output, having published more than 800 papers and books during his lifetime.