Christian Huygens
Proposed the wave theory of light and made significant contributions to mechanics and horology.
Most quoted
"It is a pleasure to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tossed upon the sea; a pleasure to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle and the adventures thereof: but no pleasure is comparable to the standing upon the vantage ground of truth..."
— from Attributed
"One finds in this subject a kind of demonstration which does not carry with it so high a degree of certainty as that of geometry; and which differs distinctly from the method employed by geometers."
— from Treatise on Light, 1690
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution."
— from Treatise on Light, 1690
All quotes by Christian Huygens (392)
The true cause of the phenomena of light is to be sought in the propagation of a motion through a subtle matter, which fills all space.
It is inconceivable that light, if it were a body, could pass through so many transparent bodies without being in the least retarded by them.
The propagation of light is not instantaneous, but takes time, however short.
The ether, which is the medium of light, must be extremely subtle and elastic.
The rings of Saturn are not attached to the planet, but are a separate body surrounding it.
Saturn is encompassed by a thin, flat ring, nowhere touching, and inclined to the ecliptic.
The true shape of the rings of Saturn is that of a flat, thin disk, inclined to the plane of the ecliptic.
The pendulum clock is the most accurate instrument for measuring time.
The cycloid is the curve of fastest descent.
The center of oscillation of a pendulum is not the same as its center of gravity.
The force that keeps a body moving in a circle is directed towards the center of the circle.
The centrifugal force is equal and opposite to the centripetal force.
The laws of impact are not always simple, and depend on the elasticity of the bodies.
The conservation of momentum is a fundamental principle of mechanics.
The existence of extraterrestrial life is not only possible, but probable.
It is absurd to think that the Earth is the only inhabited world.
The other planets are likely to be inhabited by creatures similar to ourselves.
The stars are suns, and they too may have planets orbiting them.
The universe is infinitely large, and contains an infinite number of worlds.
The nature of light is not yet fully understood, and requires further investigation.
Contemporaries of Christian Huygens
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Christian Huygens (1629–1695).