Norbert Wiener of MIT (1894–1964) was well known as an extreme example of someone who could get lost in thought. Once while walking on campus, Wiener met an acquaintance, and after a while he asked his companion: ‘Which way was I walking when we met?’ The man pointed, and Wiener said, ‘Good. Then I’ve had my lunch.’
Quoted from Loving and Hating Mathematics: Challenging the Myths of Mathematical Life, by Reuben Hersh and Vera John-Steiner (2010)
