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)
Galileo's legacy is the spark of modern science.
Happiness is found in the harmony of knowledge.
The evolution of species is a divine mechanism.
Clocks measure time, but minds measure eternity.
Other worlds may harbor life like our own.
Persistence in inquiry yields the fruits of truth.
The ether undulates with the pulse of light.
Man's reason is a gift from the Creator.
The rings encircling Saturn are a celestial wonder.
Aging brings wisdom, if one reflects deeply.
Mathematics unlocks the mysteries of motion.
In the end, all is vanity under the stars.
It is not possible to explain the phenomena of light by any other hypothesis than that of waves.
The true cause of the refraction of light is the retardation of the waves in the denser medium.
Every point of a wavefront may be considered as a source of secondary spherical wavelets.
Nature does nothing in vain, and is never lavish of superfluous causes.
The light of the sun and of the stars is not a simple emanation, but a succession of waves.
The velocity of light is finite, though exceedingly great.
The most beautiful and useful discoveries are often made by chance.
The universe is so vast that it is impossible to conceive of its limits.
Contemporaries of Christian Huygens
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Christian Huygens (1629–1695).