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 transistor was a team effort. Brattain did the experiments, I provided the theory, and Shockley... well, he had the ideas.
The development of the transistor was a result of a concerted effort by a group of people who were dedicated to understanding the properties of semiconductors.
Science is a collaborative effort. The combined results of several people working together is often much more effective than could be that of an individual scientist working alone.
I never intended to win two Nobel Prizes. I was just trying to understand how things work.
The BCS theory came from a combination of physical insight and mathematical analysis. We were lucky to find a simple solution that captured the essential physics.
The importance of the transistor was not immediately apparent. It took some years for its potential to be realized.
I prefer to work on a few problems in depth rather than dabble in many.
Theoretical physics is a way of understanding nature in its most fundamental terms.
The solution to a difficult problem often comes when you are not actively thinking about it.
The beauty of a physical theory is in its simplicity and its ability to explain a wide range of phenomena.
We must give credit to the experimentalists who provided the clues that led to our theoretical understanding.
Persistence is important in research. You cannot give up just because the answer is not immediately obvious.
The energy gap in superconductors was a crucial concept that had to be explained.
I have always been more interested in understanding the basic principles than in applications, though applications are, of course, very important.
The many-body problem is the central problem of solid-state physics.
Cooperation, not competition, is the key to major scientific advances.
The electron-phonon interaction is the glue that binds the Cooper pairs.
A good theory should not only explain known facts but also predict new ones.
I was fortunate to have excellent teachers and colleagues.
The Meissner effect was the definitive proof that superconductivity was a new thermodynamic phase.
Contemporaries of John Bardeen
Other Physicss born within 50 years of John Bardeen (1908–1991).