A Healthy Disregard for the Impossible : Part 2

Reality Check
By David Vise, Mark Malseed

(Page 2 of 2)

Page said that as they told friends about Google, more and more people started using it. "Pretty soon we had 10,000 searches a day at Stanford. And we sat around the room and looked at the machines and said, 'This is about how many searches we can do, and we need more computers.' Our whole history has been like that. We always need more computers."

It was a sentiment the students and teachers at the school could relate to.

"So, we started a company. Being in Silicon Valley at this time, it was relatively easy to do. You have a number of very excellent companies here as well," he added, alluding to the growing technology sector in Israel, "so this is also a good environment to do things like that. We started up the company, and it grew and grew and grew-and that is why we are here. So that," he concluded, "is 'The Google Story.'"

But there was something more he wanted to convey: closing words of inspiration.

"Let me explain to you guys why I am so excited about being here," Page said. "And it is really that there is so much leverage in science and technology. I think most people don't really realize that. There is so much that can be done with these new technologies. We are an example of that.

"Two kind of crazy kids have had a big impact on the world because of the power of the Internet, the power of the distribution, and the power of software and computers. And there are so many things like that out there. There are so many opportunities where you can have a huge impact on the world by using the leverage of science and technology. All of you are uniquely positioned, and you should be excited about that."

Brin interjected that the pair's overseas travels included not only Israel but also several European countries. They were on the prowl for talent, and they were considering opening new offices. For Sergey, who has a sharp sense of humor, the search was ongoing.

"We spend most of our time trying to get Internet access," he quipped. "We surf every day. I was on until 4 a.m. last night. And then I got on again earlier this morning. It is an invaluable tool. It is kind of like a respirator now."

Having fled Russia with his family for freedom from anti-Semitism and discrimination, Brin had something powerful in common with the experience of many of the Russian-born students at the Israeli high school. His father, Michael Brin, had captured the essence of why he and his wife and young son had left Russia when he said that one's love of country is not always reciprocated. Sergey recognized that he had a special opportunity to motivate these students, so he took the wireless microphone in hand, stood up, and connected. He had been advised before they came to the high school that this group truly was extraordinary, the best of breed, and the recent recipients of all but three of the top mathematics prizes in the country.

"Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys . . ." he said, before speaking in Russian, to the delight of the students, who broke out in spontaneous applause.

"I came and emigrated from Russia when I was six. I went to the United States. Similar to here, I have standard Russian-Jewish parents. My dad is a math professor. They have a certain attitude about studies. And I think I can relate that here, because I was told that your school recently got seven out of the top ten places in a math competition throughout all Israel."

The students, unaware of what was coming next, applauded their seven-out-of-ten achievement and the recognition from Sergey.

"What I have to say," Sergey continued, "is in the words of my father, 'What about the other three?'"

A ripple of laughter went through the crowd.

"You have several things here that I didn't have when I was going through high school. The first one is the beautiful weather and the windows. My school in Maryland, which was built during the '70s energy crisis, has three-foot-thick walls and no windows. You are very fortunate to be in such a beautiful setting. The other thing we didn't have back then was Internet access.

"Let me get a show of hands. How many of you used the Internet yesterday?"

Virtually every hand in the auditorium shot up.

Copyright © 2003 by Leslie Carroll.

About the Author

David A. Vise, formerly a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Washington Post, is now Senior Commentator for breakingviews.com, a leading online international financial commentary service. He is the author of three previous books, including the New York Times bestseller The Bureau and the Mole.

Mark Malseed, a former researcher for Bob Woodward, has contributed to the Washington Post, the Boston Herald, and other publications.