Monday, February 11, 2013

Physics quotes

I really like science quotes. I have a whole book of them, and I've been known to sit down and just trawl through it. I think quotes about Physics and science can help us to understand what Physics is, or certainly what other people thought it is during their time.

I've collected scientific quotes over the years and I'll share my favourite ones here. I've put them into 3 different categories.


There are of course a lot more, but these are a few of the ones that I keep coming back to. Hopefully it goes a little way to explaining, or concreting or changing what youthink A Physics is.

I'm constantly re-hypothesising what I consider a Physics t be (like a good little physicist), and these quotes help me out.

Inspiring

"Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure science." 
- Edwin Powell Hubble, 1954


"Space isn't remote at all. It's only an hour's drive away if your car could go straight upwards" 
- Fred Hoyle

"I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true."

- Carl Sagan


Not quite right



"We are probably nearing the limit of all we can know about astronomy." 
Simon Newcomb

"Everything that can be invented, has been invented"
- U.S. Patent Commissioner, 1899


"A rocket will never leave the Earth's atmosphere"
- New York Times, 1936


There is a world market for maybe five computers"
- IBM's Thomas Watson

"640k ought to be enough for anybody"
- Bill Gates, 1980's


Funny cos it's true


“A rolling stone gathers mo-mentum”
- Ruth Gordon



"I'd rather be a rising ape than a fallen angel"- Terry Pratchett

"All science is either Physics or stamp collecting." 
- Ernest Rutherford

"In science, the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to whom the idea first occurs." 

- Francis Darwin

"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
- Albert Einstein

"Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space."
- Douglas Adams

What are your favourite Physics quotes?

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