1323 quotes by physicists for you to enjoy

I very much enjoyed my career in science. I didn't leave science because I was disillusioned, but felt I'd done my bit for it after about twenty-five years. John Polkinghorne

Science Bit About Because Felt Leave Years Very Done After Disillusioned Much Twenty-Five Enjoyed Career

After all, the universe required ten billion years of evolution before life was even possible; the evolution of the stars and the evolving of new chemical elements in the nuclear furnaces of the stars were indispensable prerequisites for the generation of life. John Polkinghorne

Of course, Einstein was a very great scientist indeed, and I have enormous respect for him, and great admiration for the discoveries he made. But he was very committed to a view of the objectivity of the physical world. John Polkinghorne

Great Respect World Made Enormous Indeed Admiration Physical Objectivity Physical World He Him Course Scientist Discoveries Very Committed Einstein View

Of course, nobody would deny the importance of human beings for theological thinking, but the time span of history that theologians think about is a few thousand years of human culture rather than the fifteen billion years of the history of the universe. John Polkinghorne

Time History Culture Few Think Thinking Universe Thousand Would Thousand Years About Rather Nobody Importance Course Years Deny Than Human The History Of Human Beings Span Fifteen Theologians Theological Billion Beings

Well, it's because I gladly acknowledge some ideas that are part of process theology, but which I think are not tied to all the details of process thought, and are very illuminating and helpful. John Polkinghorne

Thought Think Details Some Gladly Part Ideas Well Tied Because Very Acknowledge Process Which Theology Helpful Illuminating

The brightest flashes in the world of thought are incomplete until they have been proven to have their counterparts in the world of fact. John Tyndall

World Thought Incomplete Fact Counterparts Until Proven Been Flashes Brightest

At a time when science plays such a powerful role in the life of society, when the destiny of the whole of mankind may hinge on the results of scientific research, it is incumbent on all scientists to be fully conscious of that role, and conduct themselves accordingly. Joseph Rotblat

Life Time Science Research Society Incumbent Destiny Results Powerful Scientific Hinge Scientific Research Scientists Accordingly Conduct Role May Mankind Themselves Fully Whole Conscious Plays

The most terrifying moment in my life was October 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I did not know all the facts - we have learned only recently how close we were to war - but I knew enough to make me tremble. Joseph Rotblat

Life War Me My Life Enough Tremble Crisis All The Facts Only Facts Knew Missile Know Most Make Learned Cuban Cuban Missile Crisis Terrifying How October Were Close Did Moment Recently

But scientists on both sides of the iron curtain played a very significant role in maintaining the momentum of the nuclear arms race throughout the four decades of the Cold War. Joseph Rotblat

War Cold Cold War Sides Significant Both Both Sides Throughout Maintaining Arms Arms Race Scientists Very Iron Iron Curtain Role Decades Curtain Race Momentum Nuclear Nuclear Arms Four Played

I saw science as being in harmony with humanity. Joseph Rotblat

Science Humanity Harmony Saw Being

All nuclear weapon states should now recognize that this is so, and declare - in Treaty form - that they will never be the first to use nuclear weapons. This would open the way to the gradual, mutual reduction of nuclear arsenals, down to zero. Joseph Rotblat

Will First Down Way States Recognize Would Weapon Weapons Mutual Be The First Never Open Reduction Arsenal Gradual Form Declare Should Use Now Zero Nuclear Nuclear Weapon Nuclear Weapons Treaty

I have to bring to your notice a terrifying reality: with the development of nuclear weapons Man has acquired, for the first time in history, the technical means to destroy the whole of civilization in a single act. Joseph Rotblat

Time History Man Reality First Single Destroy Weapons Civilization Development Single Act Terrifying First Time Acquired Notice Means Act Your Whole Technical Nuclear Bring Nuclear Weapons

Indeed, the whole human species is endangered, by nuclear weapons or by other means of wholesale destruction which further advances in science are likely to produce. Joseph Rotblat

Science Destruction Other Indeed Further Weapons Advances Likely Endangered Human Which Produce Means Whole Wholesale Human Species Species Nuclear Nuclear Weapons

Long before the terrifying potential of the arms race was recognized, there was a widespread instinctive abhorrence of nuclear weapons, and a strong desire to get rid of them. Joseph Rotblat

Since the end of the Cold War two main nuclear powers have begun to make big reductions in their nuclear arsenals. Each of them is dismantling about 2,000 nuclear warheads a year. Joseph Rotblat

So I ask the nuclear powers to abandon the out-of-date thinking of the Cold War period and take a fresh look. Above all, I appeal to them to bear in mind the long-term threat that nuclear weapons pose to humankind and to begin action towards their elimination. Joseph Rotblat

War Mind Action Thinking Cold Cold War Abandon Weapons Threat Above Bear Take Towards Long-Term Look Period Powers Fresh Fresh Look Begin Them Ask Appeal Nuclear Humankind Elimination Nuclear Weapons Pose

The chief task was to stop the arms race before it brought utter disaster. However, after the collapse of communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, any rationale for having nuclear weapons disappeared. Joseph Rotblat

Communism Before Collapse Weapons Brought Having Rationale Disappeared Disaster Arms Arms Race However Chief Task Soviet Any Soviet Union Stop After Disintegration Race Union Utter Nuclear Nuclear Weapons

This means that the only function of nuclear weapons, while they exist, is to deter a nuclear attack. Joseph Rotblat

Weapons Deter Only Attack Exist While Means Function Nuclear Nuclear Weapons

When the START 2 treaty has been implemented - and remember it has not yet been ratified - we will be left with some 15,000 nuclear warheads, active and in reserve. Fifteen thousand weapons with an average yield of 20 Hiroshima bombs. Joseph Rotblat

Considering the greater amounts of energy which can be collected and stored in suitable experimental form in capacitors, one could expect to deliver radiated energy for some time from them. Karl Ferdinand Braun

Time Energy Suitable Considering Collected Some Could Deliver Greater Expect Stored Form Experimental Which Them Amount

In the summer of 1902, I was able to erect two experimental stations on two forts at Strasbourg for the purpose of closer study. Karl Ferdinand Braun

Summer Stations Able Purpose Study Erect Closer Experimental Two

Elementary considerations led me to the conclusion that a medium, composed of layers of different dielectric constants, must behave as a uniaxial crystal if it is assumed that the layer thicknesses are only a fraction of a wave-length. Karl Ferdinand Braun

Me Assumed Medium Considerations Must Composed Only Layer Layers Crystal Conclusion Led Behave Different Elementary Fraction

Quotes by Physicists