Saturday, July 25, 2009

Physics Quote of the Day (July 19 - July 25)

"Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated." Rosalind Franklin, born 25 July 1920.

"Individuals with any of a very broad spectrum of intellectual attributes can contribute to science." Roland W. Schmitt, born 24 July 1923.

"Science is competitive, aggressive, demanding. It is also imaginative, inspiring, uplifting." Vera Rubin, born 23 July 1928.

"All our suffering comes from a deficiency to stand up for our beliefs." Heinz Barwich, born 22 July 1911.

"Resolution of conflict, easing of stress must come from the penetration into many groups of wide and common interests which, by a process of dilution, will weaken other groups often artificially maintained." John H. Manley, born 21 July 1907.

"Doing physics is much more enjoyable than just learning it. Maybe 'doing it' is the right way of learning, at least as far as I am concerned." Gerd Binnig, born 20 July 1947.

"Quantum theory was split up into dialects. Different people describe the same experiences in remarkably different languages. This is confusing even to physicists." David Finkelstein, born 19 July 1929.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Physics Quote of the Day (July 12 - July 18)

"Only when they must choose between competing theories do scientists behave like philosophers." Thomas Kuhn, born 18 July 1922.

"Nature always uses the simplest means to accomplish its effects." Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis, born 17 July 1698.

"How quick are we to learn, that is, to imitate what others have done or thought before. And how slow to understand, that is, to see the deeper connections. Slowest of all, however, are we in inventing new connections or even applying old ideas in a new field." Frits Zernike, born 16 July 1888.

"We can start measuring only when we know what to measure: qualitative observation has to precede quantitative measurement, and by making experimental arrangements for quantitative measurements we may even eliminate the possibility of new phenomena appearing." Hendrik Casimir, born 15 July 1922.

"... some general method, capable of being employed in every case, is still wanting." George Green, born 14 July 1793.

"Our words are built on the objects of our experience. They have acquired their effectiveness by adapting themselves to the occurrences of our everyday world. But when we approach realities of another scale, these words can become obstacles." Hubert Reeves, born 13 July 1932.

"In fact, there really is not a new law of nature. It was all in the theory to begin with but nobody worked it out." Willis Lamb, born 12 July 1913.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Physics Quote of the Day (July 5 - July 11)

"I did all the problems a little different from the rest of the class." Samuel Goudsmit, born 11 July 1902.

"The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result." Nikola Tesla, born 10 July 1856.

"There are many modes of thinking about the world around us and our place in it. I like to consider all the angles from which we might gain perspective on our amazing universe and the nature of existence." John Archibald Wheeler, born 9 July 1911.

"Creativity makes life valuable." Igor Tamm, born 8 July 1895.

"If history has a lesson, it is that the "winner take all" attitude deprives one of the pleasures of being the heir to the best of different traditions, even while avoiding their intolerance against each other." László Tisza, born 7 July 1907.

"The standard model longs for the Higgs particle in order to be a sound theory." Jos Engelen, born 6 July 1950.

"If you really want to contribute to our theoretical understanding of physical laws - and it is an exciting experience if you succeed! - there are many things you need to know. First of all, be serious about it!" Gerardus 't Hooft, born 5 July 1946.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Physics Quote of the Day (June 28 - July 4)

"It is almost instinctive in science to accept contrary views, because disagreeing gives you guidance to experimental tests of ideas - your own and those offered by others…." Frederick Seitz, born 4 July 1911.

"As the world rapidly becomes a civilization of machines, the masters of machines will increasingly be the ones in control of the world." John Howard Dellinger, born 3 July 1886.

"You should look at all the experimental information at hand, not only the most relevant, and be prepared to make conjectures if that helps." Hans Bethe, born 2 July 1906.

"One has to do something new in order to see something new." Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, born 1 July 1742.

"Each of us has had his own peculiar training, his own personal contact with the mighty ones of the immediate past; and this forms as it were a telescopic tube determining limits to our field of vision." Cargill Gilston Knott, born 30 June 1856.

"Ever since quantum phenomena became definitely recognized many attempts were made to picture their mechanism." Boris Podolsky, born 29 June 1896.

"Does not any analysis of measurement require concepts more fundamental than measurement?" John Stewart Bell, born 28 June 1928.