Lise Meitner

The difference between a good and a mediocre scientist is that the good scientist is able to recognize the unexpected.

In science, one must be prepared for surprises.

The release of atomic energy on a large scale would be a catastrophe for mankind.

I am thankful that my work in physics has given me the opportunity to experience the joy of discovery.

No one really thought of fission before it happened.

The years in Berlin were the most fruitful of my life.

We knew that the world would never be the same.

It is a curious fact that the discovery of fission was made in a time of political madness.

I have never done any work, from pure science to the simplest task, without putting my whole heart and soul into it.

The atom bomb was built on a principle which I had discovered, but I had nothing to do with that terrible application.

A scientist must be absolutely honest and must never claim more than he knows.

The true scientist does not know the word 'impossible'.

I am not a philosopher; I am a physicist interested in the facts of nature.

The most important thing is to keep one's ability to be surprised.

Our understanding of the nucleus is still only in its infancy.

I was a physicist and nothing else.

The tragedy of my life was that I lost my homeland.

One must never forget that human beings are behind every scientific achievement.

The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is the greatest adventure.

I have lived through two world wars and have lost my homeland twice. It is not easy to remain optimistic, but science gives me hope.