Galileo Galilei may not have been the first reductionist in science, but he had a good grasp of the concept. His words have been ratified many times throughout the subsequent years, and the story of lung surfactant is but another example of the power of a “small” fact. In Jere Mead’s words,“Sometimes the answer to a question is far more important than the question itself.” Such a question was,“Is alveolar surface tension high or low?” Driven by curiosity alone, the research that was intended to answer this question fanned out into multiple disciplines and spun off significant therapeutic advances. To those persuaded by the Galilean pragma, this was no surprise, but if it had not coincided with an era of growing largesse from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the story might have turned out quite differently. Fortunately, Claude Lenfant and Suzanne Hurd acceded during the critical time to positions of authority at NHLBI, and they and their associates pushed for programs in laboratory research and its practical applications that accelerated the development of the surfactant field (as well as others). The outcome has been a revolution in the treatment of a major disease of the newborn and the promise of deeper understanding and better management of other lung problems. It is hard to think of a more compelling example of the progress that can be made when enlightened public officials and academic researchers work together with mutual respect and willing cooperation. In the bibliography of a recent review of the surfactant field (1), we identified 31 key papers by American authors; 24 of these were supported by NHLBI. What a splendid record! It is a privilege to tell briefly here how all this came about.