Hendrik Lorentz
Developed the Lorentz transformations, which form the basis of Einstein's special relativity.
Most quoted
"One cannot escape the feeling that these mathematical formulae have an independent existence and an intelligence of their own, that they are wiser than we are, wiser even than their discoverers, that we get more out of them than was originally put into them."
— from Attributed remark
"It is not impossible that in the future we may have theories which are more general than those we now possess, and which will reduce our present theories to special cases, just as the theory of relativity has reduced the older mechanics to a special case."
— from Lectures on Theoretical Physics, 1920
"The difficulties which we encounter in the theory of electrons are largely due to the fact that we are dealing with phenomena which are on the borderland between the domain of ordinary experience and that of the infinitely small."
— from The Theory of Electrons, 1909
All quotes by Hendrik Lorentz (409)
The principle of least action is perhaps the most comprehensive of all the general laws of physics.
The theory of relativity has taught us that the concepts of space and time are not absolute but relative.
We must be prepared to find that the ultimate laws of nature are of a statistical character.
The unity of all forces of nature is a dream that has always fascinated the physicist.
The more we penetrate into the secrets of nature, the more we become aware of the harmony and order which reign in the universe.
The aim of theoretical physics is not only to explain phenomena but also to reduce the number of independent hypotheses.
The development of physics shows that our concepts are not fixed but are continually evolving.
It is a great satisfaction to the physicist when he is able to bring a wide range of phenomena under a single simple law.
The electron is a stranger in classical physics.
The propagation of light in moving bodies is a problem that has occupied physicists for many years.
The Michelson experiment has shown that the velocity of light is independent of the motion of the earth.
We must admit that we do not know what electricity is.
The laws of nature are expressed in differential equations.
The future will probably teach us much that we cannot now foresee.
The theory of relativity has brought about a profound change in our views of space and time.
In physics, as in every other science, we must be guided by experience.
The concept of energy has proved to be one of the most fruitful in the whole of physics.
The distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.
The mathematician may be compared to a designer of garments who is utterly oblivious of the creatures whom his garments may fit.
The physicist must be content to describe the relations between phenomena and not pretend to know the ultimate nature of things.
Contemporaries of Hendrik Lorentz
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Hendrik Lorentz (1853–1928).