Ernest Rutherford

I have always been a great believer in the power of observation.

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

I have always been fascinated by the unknown.

The atom is a very small, but very powerful thing.

We are just beginning to understand the secrets of the universe.

The most important thing is to never give up.

Don't let me catch anyone talking about the Universe in my department.

Why bother with the atom? It's too small to see.

I've just been reading some of the proofs of the new edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. They've got an article on 'Atom' by somebody called Rutherford. Seems a decent chap, but he's got it all wrong.

I am afraid I have been guilty of a little levity in my lecture.

Gentlemen, I have made an important discovery. I have found that the atom is mostly empty space.

I am going to talk about the atom, which is a very small thing, but it has a very big future.

Science is not a game of chess, but a game of poker.

I have observed a few things in my life, and one of them is that the more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Be afraid not to make any.

The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.

I am a simple man, but I have a simple mind.

I am not a genius, I am just a hard worker.

I am not a philosopher, I am a physicist.