“Follow your passion,” Ray Kurzweil advised graduates at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 21.

“That’s the only way to create knowledge that has value,” he added. “Find a challenge that you can feel passionate about. Then find the ideas that rise to the challenge. They exist, and you can find them.

“Decide to succeed, rather than to fail. It’s entirely in your control. Edison tried thousands of filaments, and they all failed. He easily could have decided that all those skeptics who said that his light bulb project would never work were right after all.

“Well, you know the rest of the story. If your goal is worthy, then never give in. As Winston Churchill said, ‘never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in.’ Congratulations once again. I wish for all of you a long life — a very long life — filled with success, creativity, health, and happiness. And may the force be with you!”

WPI also awarded an hononory doctorate to Dr. Kurzweil.