John Bardeen
Co-invented the transistor and developed the BCS theory of superconductivity, winning two Nobel Prizes in Physics.
Most quoted
"This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
— from Attributed
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us 'universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness."
— from Attributed
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality."
— from Attributed
All quotes by John Bardeen (406)
The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.
The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.
The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.
The mind is everything. What you think you become.
The only real valuable thing is intuition.
I believe in intuitions and inspirations...I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am.
The grand aim of all science is to cover the greatest number of empirical facts by logical deduction from the smallest number of hypotheses or axioms.
The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self.
We are all connected; to each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe, atomically.
The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.
The more I study science, the more I believe in God.
I have never been interested in being famous. I just wanted to do good physics.
One should not be afraid to tackle problems that seem impossible.
The transistor was not invented; it was discovered.
The most exciting part of research is when you realize you've found something new.
It's important to be persistent, even when things are difficult.
The beauty of physics lies in its simplicity and its ability to explain complex phenomena.
Contemporaries of John Bardeen
Other Physicss born within 50 years of John Bardeen (1908–1991).