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)
Doubt your assumptions; certainty blinds the seeker.
Children ask the best questions, unburdened by convention.
The transistor's legacy is in empowering billions, not just circuits.
Science demands patience; breakthroughs are marathons, not sprints.
In superconductivity, order emerges from chaos—a metaphor for life.
I chuckled at the irony: a shy physicist in the spotlight.
Interdisciplinary boundaries are illusions; true insight crosses them.
Gratitude to collaborators: Brattain and Shockley made it possible.
The meaning of life? Pursue what fascinates you relentlessly.
Quantum mechanics challenges our classical intuitions daily.
Retirement? Science never retires; it evolves.
Ethical science serves humanity, not destruction.
Equations are poetry for the analytical mind.
My last words? Keep questioning the universe.
Funding basic research yields unforeseen treasures.
The thrill of solving a puzzle sustains the scientist's soul.
Bose-Einstein condensate hints at new quantum realms.
Wit in science: 'Why did the electron go to therapy? It had too many unpaired feelings.'
Legacy is in ideas shared, not awards won.
From geophysics to semiconductors—paths diverge, yet connect.
Contemporaries of John Bardeen
Other Physicss born within 50 years of John Bardeen (1908–1991).