Chapter and verse quotation-citation correspondence site

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

H. John Rogers writes: “The Onala Club in Pittsburgh has a placemat on its wall that reads, ‘Fai bene—Do good /Scordate—Forget about it / Fai male—Do bad / Pensaci—Think about it.’ ” He wonders if this is an old Italian saying, or if someone can provide a specific source.

“something wrong with the experiment” (May-June). Robert Kantowicz supplied a sidelight on this topic from Walter Isaacson’s Einstein: His Life and Universe (2007), which states on page 252 that when a student asked Einstein how he would have reacted had eclipse observations contradicted the general theory of relativity, the physicist replied, “Then I would have been sorry for the dear Lord; the theory is correct.”

Send inquiries and answers to “Chapter and Verse,” Harvard Magazine, 7 Ware Street, Cambridge 02138, or via e-mail to chapterandverse@harvardmag.com.

Related topics

You might also like

Author and Harvard Divinity School writer-in-residence Terry Tempest Williams finds beauty in the world around us.

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

Shakespeare and Stephen King Have a Lot in Common

Shakespeare scholar Caroline Bicks studies horror and fear in literature. 

Most popular

The Supreme Court Affirmative Action Rulings: An Analysis

The underlying arguments project clashing worldviews of race and appropriate remedies.

The retired government professor has been a rare conservative voice on campus for decades.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Explore More From Current Issue

Colorful abstract design resembling an octopus with intricate swirls and patterns.

Growing liver implants, mapping the sense of smell, and journalism at risk

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

Vibrant urban scene at dusk featuring a mural on a building and illuminated structures.

The Goel Center in Allston will open for performances in the fall of 2026.