Physics Quote of the Day (December 27 - January 2)

"It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today." Isaac Asimov, born 2 January 1920.

"I often liken the process of physics research to solving a jigsaw puzzle. As we put together pieces to form patches, a certain image of the overall picture emerges, but until the game is sufficiently progressed, we are not quite sure." Benjamin W. Lee, born 1 January 1935.

"I would insist that any proposal for a radically new theory in physics, or in any other science, contain a clear explanation of why the precedent science worked, ... the crank is a scientific solipsist who lives in his own little world. He has no understanding nor appreciation of the scientific matrix in which his work is embedded … In my dealings with cranks, I have discovered that this kind of discussion is of no interest to them." Jeremy Bernstein, born 31 December 1xxx.

"Every time we get slapped down, we can say, Thank you Mother Nature, because it means we're about to learn something important." John Norris Bahcall, born 30 December 1934.

"It must be confessed that the new quantum mechanics is far from satisfying the requirements of the layman who seeks to clothe his conceptions in figurative language. Indeed, its originators probably hold that such symbolic representation is inherently impossible. It is earnestly to be hoped that this is not their last word on the subject, and that they may yet be successful in expressing the quantum postulate in picturesque form." Herbert Stanley Allen, born 29 December 1873.

"Young man, in mathematics you don't understand things. You just get used to them." John von Neumann, born 28 December 1903.

"In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind." Louis Pasteur, born 27 December 1822.