Ludwig Boltzmann

Physics Austrian 1844 – 1906 497 quotes

Founder of statistical mechanics and entropy equation

Quotes by Ludwig Boltzmann

The laws of nature are immutable and beautiful.

Aphorism

Specific heat at low temperatures reveals quantum effects.

Paper 1900

Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind, but in physics, experiment rules.

Philosophy

The Boltzmann factor e^{-E/kT} governs populations.

Major work 1877

Criticism is the salt of knowledge.

Letter 1895

The universe began with low entropy.

Essay 1905

I am tired of fighting against the tide of positivism.

Last words note 1906

The harmony of the world is made manifest in the laws of thermodynamics.

Speech 1880

Persistence is the key to success in theoretical physics.

Interview

The mean free path of molecules determines transport properties.

Paper 1868

Life's purpose is to increase order locally against entropy.

Lecture 1900

The opponents of atomism will be proven wrong by time.

Speech 1890

Energy is eternal delight in physical forms.

Aphorism

The second law is statistical, not absolute.

Book 1896

Curiosity is the engine of achievement in science.

Personal reflection 1885

The radiation law I derived is universal.

Paper 1884

In the face of adversity, the physicist calculates.

Humor

The foundation of physics is the atomic hypothesis.

Speech 1900

My mind is a chaos of mathematical symbols.

Letter 1904

The progress of science is slow but sure.

Essay 1895