1323 quotes by physicists for you to enjoy

The Big Bang theory says nothing about what banged, why it banged, or what happened before it banged. Alan Guth

Big Before Nothing Says About Big Bang Bang Happened Theory Why

If we assume there is no maximum possible entropy for the universe, then any state can be a state of low entropy. Alan Guth

Universe Assume State Possible Entropy Maximum Any Low Then

To a theoretical physicist, there is no greater joy than to see that this curious activity we call calculation - the depositing of ink on paper, followed by throwing away the paper and depositing new ink on more paper - can actually tell us something about reality. Alan Guth

Reality Joy Paper Tell See Followed About Something More Physicist Throwing New Calculation Call Greater Than Curious Us Theoretical Activity Away Ink Actually

Space is certainly something more complicated than the average person would probably realize. Space is not just an empty background in which things happen. Alan Guth

Complicated Space Background Would Something More Empty Than Person Just Happen Which Average Realize Average Person Certainly Things Things Happen

Now, what space ultimately is - I should confess, I think most physicists believe - we don't yet know. Alan Guth

Space Believe Think Physicists Know Most Ultimately Confess Should Now

Our best theory of describing space at a fundamental level is probably string theory. Alan Guth

Best Space Our String String Theory Theory Describing Fundamental Level

My parents were not at all involved in science. In fact, neither of them went to college. Alan Guth

Science College Parents Neither Fact Involved Were In Fact Them

I had considered MIT a place where brilliant people came. Alan Guth

People Brilliant Considered Had MIT Came Where Place

In high school, I was the best broad jumper on our team, and I kind of thought that when I got to MIT, I'd probably still be the best broad jumper, 'cause why do broad jumpers come to MIT? But it turned out to actually be the other way around. There was another person in my class who could jump about 3 feet further than I could. Alan Guth

Best Class School Cause Thought Other Broad Our Way Further Out Kind High High School About Could Feet Come Another Around Got Still MIT Jump Than Person Turned Team Who Why Actually

If you bang two electrons together with enough energy, you produce protons. If there are no independent laws, then all the properties of protons must somehow be 'known' by the electrons. By extension, every elementary particle must carry around enough information to produce the entire universe. I find that difficult to believe. Alan Guth

You Together Energy Believe Difficult Every Universe Enough Independent Carry Must Find Entire Somehow Laws Properties Particle Known Around Bang Information Produce Then Electron Elementary Extension Two

It was sort of assumed, from the time I was born, really, that I would go to college. That's sort of the way that Jewish families in New Jersey handled things; that was the norm. Alan Guth

Time College Assumed Way Would Born New Sort New Jersey Go Norm Families Handled Really Jersey Things Jewish

I'm pretty slow at writing papers. Alan Guth

Writing Slow Papers Pretty

Reformed Jews don't have to quite believe in God. Alan Guth

God Believe Jews Reformed Quite

My undergraduate years at the University of Nebraska were a special time in my life: the combination of partying and intellectual awakening that is what the undergraduate years are supposed to be. I went to the university with the goal of becoming an engineer; I had no concept that one could pursue science as a career. Alan J. Heeger

Life Time Science Engineer My Life Pursue Could Had Combination Supposed Concept Undergraduate Partying Becoming Were Years Goal Intellectual Special Awakening Special Time Nebraska Career University

I have a strong memory of the day I was told that my father had a weak heart and that he had to go to the hospital. He died when I was nine years old on the same day that Franklin Roosevelt died; it was his 45th birthday. Alan J. Heeger

My high school years were fun and frustrating, typical of the teen years. The most important accomplishment was meeting my wife, Ruth. Alan J. Heeger

School Wife Important Teen Teen Years Meeting Typical High High School Ruth School Years Most Were Years Accomplishment The Most Important Frustrating Fun

If I were not a writer, I would spend more time doing the things that I am already doing, which include doing research in physics, teaching, and running a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower women in Cambodia. Alan Lightman

I consider myself a spiritual atheist. I certainly believe there are forces bigger than ourselves, and that we should be searching, individually, for meaning in our lives. But I don't believe there's a supreme being, an intelligence that created everything. Alan Lightman

Myself Spiritual Atheist Intelligence Believe Consider Our Everything Our Lives Ourselves Individually Supreme Supreme Being Forces Than Being Bigger Meaning Created Should Certainly Searching Lives

As both a scientist and a humanist myself, I have struggled to understand different claims to knowledge, and I have eventually come to a formulation of the kind of religious belief that would, in my view, be compatible with science. Alan Lightman

Quotes by Physicists