1323 quotes by physicists for you to enjoy

If we have an atom that is in an excited state and so is going to emit a photon, we cannot say when it will emit the photon. It has a certain amplitude to emit the photon at any time, and we can predict only a probability for emission; we cannot predict the future exactly. Richard P. Feynman

Future Time Will Predict State Say We Cannot Exactly Atom Only Emission Excited Any Going Probability Cannot Certain

When I was in Cambridge reading mathematics, I went to Amsterdam for the International Mathematics Congress. There I saw M.C. Escher's fascinating work. That inspired me to try my hand at drawing such impossibilities. Roger Penrose

Work Mathematics Me Try Reading Congress Saw Drawing Inspired Cambridge Impossibilities Hand International Fascinating Amsterdam

Even if it turns out that time travel is impossible, it is important that we understand why it is impossible. Stephen Hawking

Time Travel Impossible Important Out Understand Time Travel Turns Even Why

We lived in a tall, narrow Victorian house, which my parents had bought very cheaply during the war, when everyone thought London was going to be bombed flat. In fact, a V-2 rocket landed a few houses away from ours. I was away with my mother and sister at the time, but my father was in the house. Stephen Hawking

War Time Mother Father Thought Parents Sister Few Everyone Ours London Fact Had Cheaply Bought House Houses Tall Narrow Rocket Very Going In Fact Flat Which Victorian Landed Lived Away Bombed

We must develop as quickly as possible technologies that make possible a direct connection between brain and computer, so that artificial brains contribute to human intelligence rather than opposing it. Stephen Hawking

I am in touch with a company that hopes to replicate my voice. However, they are not replicating my original voice - if they did that, I would sound like a man in his 20s, which would be very strange! They are actually trying to replicate the synthesizer that sits on my wheelchair. Stephen Hawking

We think that life develops spontaneously on Earth, so it must be possible for life to develop on suitable planets elsewhere in the universe. But we don't know the probability that a planet develops life. Stephen Hawking

Life Think Universe Suitable Elsewhere Earth Possible Must Develop Develops Know Spontaneously Probability Planet Planets

No one can resist the idea of a crippled genius. Stephen Hawking

Genius Crippled No-One Idea Resist

Before I lost my voice, it was slurred, so only those close to me could understand, but with the computer voice, I found I could give popular lectures. I enjoy communicating science. It is important that the public understands basic science, if they are not to leave vital decisions to others. Stephen Hawking

Me Science Important Lost Before Enjoy Others Those Vital Give Only Voice Could Computer Understand Understands Leave Lectures Close Decisions Public Communicating Popular Found Basic

My wife and I love each other very much. Stephen Hawking

Love Wife Other Very Much Each

I grew up thinking that a research scientist was a natural thing to be. Stephen Hawking

Natural Research Thinking Scientist Up Grew Natural Thing Thing

I want my books sold on airport bookstalls. Stephen Hawking

Sold Books Airport Want

It is seen that both matter and radiation possess a remarkable duality of character, as they sometimes exhibit the properties of waves, at other times those of particles. Now, it is obvious that a thing cannot be a form of wave motion and composed of particles at the same time - the two concepts are too different. Werner Heisenberg

Time Character Sometimes Matter Seen Too Other Wave Waves Possess Those Composed Properties Both Remarkable Particles Concepts Obvious Duality Motion Exhibit Times Same Same Time Different Form Cannot Radiation Now Thing Two

Let us think of Nature as a builder, making all that we see out of atoms of a limited number of kinds, just as the builder of a house constructs it out of so many different kinds of things: bricks, slates, planks, panes of glass, and so on. William Henry Bragg

The difference between a gas and a liquid is that in the former, the atoms and molecules move to and fro in an independent existence, whereas in the latter, they are always in touch with one another, though they are changing partners continually. William Henry Bragg

Atoms Changing Though Latter Independent Touch Between Partners Another Always Continually Existence Liquid Move Difference Whereas Former Molecules Gas

When I run, I think about everything: physics, family problems, plans for the weekend. I haven't made any big discoveries on a run, but it does give me time to think through problems. Some solutions are obvious, but they are only obvious when you are relaxed enough to find them. Wolfgang Ketterle

Time Family Me You Physics Problems Made Big Think Enough Everything Relaxed Run Solutions Find Some About Give Give Me Only Weekend Through Obvious Does Discoveries Any Them Plans

Both for my wife and myself, the personal friendships that have grown out of scientific contacts with colleagues from many different countries have been an important part of our lives, and the travels we have made together in connection with the world-wide scientific co-operation have given us rich treasures of experiences. Aage Bohr

Myself Together Wife Made Important Rich World-Wide Our Our Lives Colleagues Out Given Both Part Contacts Countries Important Part Scientific Been Friendships Personal Different Experiences Different Countries Co-Operation Us Many Connection Grown Lives Travels Treasures

Scientists and academics in particular focus on detail and the minutiae. When they talk to each other, they usually don't focus on the broad ideas; they don't focus on social interconnectedness. They focus on the task that they're doing. Aaron D. O'Connell

Focus Other Broad Detail Minutiae Particular Ideas Academics Talk Doing Scientists Task Interconnectedness Social Each

Human curiosity, the urge to know, is a powerful force and is perhaps the best secret weapon of all in the struggle to unravel the workings of the natural world. Aaron Klug

Best Struggle Natural World Secret Secret Weapon Weapon Unravel Powerful Powerful Force Perhaps Know Force Curiosity Human Urge Natural World Workings

I like teaching and the contact with young minds keeps one on one's toes. Aaron Klug

Young Minds Contact Like Toes Teaching Keeps

Cambridge was the place for someone from the Colonies or the Dominions to go on to, and it was to the Cavendish Laboratory that one went to do physics. Aaron Klug

Physics Someone Colonies Cambridge Go Laboratory Place

It is rather fantastic to realize that the laws of physics can describe how everything was created in a random quantum fluctuation out of nothing, and how over the course of 15 billion years, matter could organize in such complex ways that we have human beings sitting here, talking, doing things intentionally. Alan Guth

Physics Matter Random Nothing Fluctuation Everything Ways Complex Out Laws Rather Could Over Talking Course Quantum How Doing Years Sitting Human Intentionally Human Beings Fantastic Realize Created Organize Billion Beings Describe Things Here

Quotes by Physicists