Enrico Fermi
Created first nuclear reactor, contributed to quantum theory
Most quoted
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
— from Attributed
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day."
— from Attributed
"Before we knew anything about the structure of the nucleus, we knew that it was very small. And we knew that it was very heavy. And we knew that it was very stable. And we knew that it was very energetic. And we knew that it was very mysterious."
— from Attributed
All quotes by Enrico Fermi (565)
In nuclear physics, the truth is often hidden behind a cloud of probabilities.
The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas-covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away, and think this is normal is obviously insane.
Some escape some prison, but all escape the prison of life.
Physics is the art of predicting the future based on the past.
We must be careful with our experiments; nature does not always cooperate.
The atom is the basic unit of matter, but its secrets are profound.
Ignore the difficulties; they are temporary.
Science progresses by trial and error, mostly error.
The Fermi paradox is the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial civilizations elsewhere in the observable universe and various high estimates for their probability.
One must be careful not to confuse probability with certainty in quantum mechanics.
Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance you must keep moving.
The first controlled chain reaction was a monumental step for humanity.
In the end, we are all just particles in the cosmic dance.
Experimental errors are inevitable, but learning from them is essential.
The beauty of physics lies in its simplicity.
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
The neutron's discovery opened new doors to the atom's heart.
Patience is the key to scientific discovery.
Humor is the best way to endure the absurdities of research.
The universe is vast, and we are small, but our curiosity is infinite.
Contemporaries of Enrico Fermi
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Enrico Fermi (1901–1954).