Wilhelm Ostwald
He made significant contributions to catalysis, chemical equilibria, and reaction velocities, winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Most quoted
"All scientific work is incomplete — whether it be observational or experimental. All scientific work is liable to be upset or modified by advancing knowledge. That does not confer upon us a freedom to ignore the knowledge we already have, or to postpone the action that it appears to demand at a given time."
— from Essays
"The true method of discovery is like the flight of an aeroplane. It starts from the ground of particular observation; it makes a flight in the thin air of imaginative generalization; and it again lands for renewed observation rendered acute by rational interpretation."
— from The Philosophy of Science
"The laws of thermodynamics control, in the last resort, the rise and fall of political systems, the freedom or bondage of nations, the movements of commerce and industry, the origins of wealth and poverty, and the general physical welfare of the human race."
— from Der energetische Imperativ, 1912
All quotes by Wilhelm Ostwald (387)
The beauty of science lies in its simplicity.
The scientist must be a critic of his own work.
The future of science is in the hands of the young.
The true measure of a scientist is not the number of his publications, but the quality of his ideas.
The scientific revolution is a continuous process.
The role of the scientist is to discover the laws of nature.
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.
The scientific method is a process of trial and error.
The universe is a system of energy transformations.
The goal of science is to understand the world around us.
The scientist must be open to new ideas.
The history of chemistry is the history of human ingenuity.
The most profound truths are often the simplest.
The scientific community is a global community.
The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong journey.
The true scientist is driven by curiosity.
The scientific method is a powerful tool for understanding the world.
The universe is a dynamic system of energy and matter.
The scientist must be willing to challenge established beliefs.
The most important discoveries are often made by those who dare to think differently.
Contemporaries of Wilhelm Ostwald
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Wilhelm Ostwald (1853–1932).