Paul Dirac
Predicted antimatter and formulated Dirac equation
Most quoted
"The underlying physical laws necessary for the mathematical theory of a large part of physics and the whole of chemistry are thus completely known, and the difficulty is only that the exact application of these laws leads to equations much too complicated to be soluble. It is the purpose of theoretical physics to show that it is possible to derive, from these equations, the properties of the actual world."
— from Proceedings of the Royal Society, 1929
"The methods of progress in theoretical physics have undergone a vast change during the present century. The classical tradition has been to consider the world to be an association of observable objects (particles, fluids, fields, etc.) moving about according to definite laws of force, so that one could form a mental picture in space and time of the whole scheme."
— from Quantised Singularities in the Electromagnetic Field, 1931
"The most powerful method of advance that can be suggested at present is to employ all the resources of pure mathematics in attempts to perfect and generalise the mathematical formalism that forms the existing basis of theoretical physics, and after each success in this direction, to try to interpret the new mathematical features in terms of physical entities."
— from Quantised Singularities in the Electromagnetic Field, 1931
All quotes by Paul Dirac (692)
Politics: International cooperation in science is vital.
Reflection: The joy of discovery is unparalleled.
Professional: Teaching quantum mechanics was rewarding.
Aphorism: Ugly theories die quickly.
Speech: The role of imagination in physics.
Correspondence: To Born, your probabilistic interpretation is useful.
Personal: I regret not spending more time with family.
Key passage: The Klein-Gordon equation for scalars.
Interview excerpt: On string theory, it's promising but young.
Witty: Silence is golden, especially in debates.
Philosophy: The universe is a mathematical structure.
On humor: Physicists have dry wit.
Life meaning: To contribute to human knowledge.
Science observation: Dark matter awaits explanation.
Wisdom: Question everything, even axioms.
Art: Symmetry in painting and equations alike.
Politics: Funding for basic research is crucial.
Professional: Mentoring young physicists is key.
Aphorism: The best theories are predictive.
Joke: Dirac's favorite number is i, the imaginary unit.
Contemporaries of Paul Dirac
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Paul Dirac (1902–1984).