Henri Poincaré

The only objective reality is the harmony expressed in mathematical laws.

The physicist is often obliged to make hypotheses, but he must not forget that they are hypotheses.

Absolute space, absolute time, and absolute motion do not exist.

The most fruitful comparisons are those which are least obvious.

The value of science is not in its practical applications, but in its power to satisfy the curiosity of the human mind.

The mathematical continuum is not a simple collection of points, but a system of relations.

The role of mathematics is not to count, but to understand.

The scientist must be a poet in his heart and a mathematician in his head.

The harmony of the world is revealed in mathematical laws.

The mind can only understand what it has created.

The most important discoveries are those which open up new fields of research.

The true reality is not what we see, but what we understand.

The progress of science is not a straight line, but a zigzag.

The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge of a more general law.

The scientist must be a man of courage, for he must dare to question the established order.

The most beautiful theories are those which are the simplest.

The universe is not a machine, but a living organism.

The most important thing in science is not to find new facts, but to find new ways of thinking about old facts.

The mathematical language is not only a tool for expressing ideas, but also a tool for discovering new ideas.

The only way to understand the world is to change it.