I got to spend some time talking with him once when we were both visiting the offices of OLPC in Cambridge, more or less across the street from MIT&#x27;s building 32 where CSAIL is located. I told him a little about what I was working on (learning agents attached to dialogue systems) and he had some insights. I ran out to the coop to buy another copy of The Society of Mind and he signed it. We also talked a little bit about some of the ideas in his The Emotion Machine, which I hadn&#x27;t read at that point.<p>On top of his work, Minsky taught me that you <i>should</i> meet your idols. If they&#x27;re worth it you walk away enriched and invigorated.