16 Murray Gell-Mann Quotes for You to Enjoy

Murray Gell-Mann

American Physicist

Born: Sep 15, 1929

Am Me Physics Think Universe You

Related authors: Brian Greene Edward Teller Freeman Dyson J. Robert Oppenheimer Lawrence M. Krauss Martin H. Fischer Michio Kaku Richard P. Feynman

Enthusiasm is followed by disappointment and even depression, and then by renewed enthusiasm. Murray Gell-Mann

Depression Disappointment Enthusiasm Followed Renewed Then Even

If someone says that he can think or talk about quantum physics without becoming dizzy, that shows only that he has not understood anything whatever about it. Murray Gell-Mann

Physics Whatever Think Says About Someone Only He Dizzy Talk Without Quantum Quantum Physics Becoming Understood Anything Shows

Of course the word chaos is used in rather a vague sense by a lot of writers, but in physics it means a particular phenomenon, namely that in a nonlinear system the outcome is often indefinitely, arbitrarily sensitive to tiny changes in the initial condition. Murray Gell-Mann

Physics Word Sense Changes Chaos Indefinitely System Outcome Rather Writers Particular Namely Course Nonlinear Condition Lot Often Tiny Sensitive Means Used Initial Phenomenon Vague

Our planet doesn't seem to be the result of anything very special. Murray Gell-Mann

Result Our Our Planet Seem Very Anything Planet Special

We are driven by the usual insatiable curiosity of the scientist, and our work is a delightful game. Murray Gell-Mann

Work Game Our Insatiable Delightful Driven Scientist Curiosity Usual

As a theoretical physicist, I feel at once proud and humble at the thought of the illustrious figures that have preceded me here to receive the greatest of all honors in science, the Nobel prize. Murray Gell-Mann

Me Science Humble Thought Once Honors Physicist Nobel Nobel Prize Feel Greatest Proud Prize Theoretical Figures Illustrious Receive Here

Hugh Everett's work has been described by many people in terms of many worlds, the idea being that every one of the various alternative histories, branching histories, is assigned some sort of reality. Murray Gell-Mann

Work Reality People Every Worlds Has-Been Some Various Idea Terms Sort Alternative Been Histories Hugh Being Many Assigned

I do not keep up with the details of particle physics. Murray Gell-Mann

Physics Details Particle Up Keep

If we look at the way the universe behaves, quantum mechanics gives us fundamental, unavoidable indeterminacy, so that alternative histories of the universe can be assigned probability. Murray Gell-Mann

Universe Way Unavoidable Gives Look Alternative Quantum Quantum Mechanics Histories Behaves Probability Us Mechanics Fundamental Assigned

Now, what that means is that there is fundamental indeterminacy from quantum mechanics, but besides that there are other sources of effective indeterminacy. Murray Gell-Mann

Other Besides Quantum Quantum Mechanics Sources Effective Means Mechanics Now Fundamental

Planets are too dim to be detected with existing equipment, far away, except in these very special circumstances where they're seen by their gravitational effect. Murray Gell-Mann

Seen Too Dim Circumstances Except Equipment Effect Existing Very Where Far Far Away Planets Special Away Gravitational

So the old Copenhagen interpretation needs to be generalized, needs to be replaced by something that can be used for the whole universe, and can be used also in cases where there is plenty of individuality and history. Murray Gell-Mann

Needs History Old Interpretation Universe Plenty Cases Something Generalized Individuality Also Replaced Where Used Whole Copenhagen

Sometimes the probabilities are very close to certainties, but they're never really certainties. Murray Gell-Mann

Sometimes Never Very Close Probabilities Really Certainties

Well, I don't like to get involved in these philosophical issues very much. Murray Gell-Mann

Philosophical Like Involved Well Issues Very Get Much

What I try to do in the book is to trace the chain of relationships running from elementary particles, fundamental building blocks of matter everywhere in the universe, such as quarks, all the way to complex entities, and in particular complex adaptive system like jaguars. Murray Gell-Mann

Book Matter Try Building Universe Adaptive Relationships Way Everywhere Complex System Running Entities Particles Particular Like Trace Building Blocks Blocks Chain Elementary Fundamental

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