Niels Bohr
Pioneer of quantum theory and atomic structure
Most quoted
"The fact that religions through the ages have spoken in images, parables, and paradoxes means simply that there are no other ways of grasping the reality to which they refer. But that does not mean that it is not a genuine reality. And complementarity, by the way, is not a new invention of mine. It is, in fact, as old as language itself. We have to be clear that when it comes to atoms, language can be used only as poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images and establishing connections."
— from Interview with Aage Petersen
"The fact that religions through the ages have spoken in images, parables, and paradoxes means simply that there are no other ways of grasping the reality to which they refer. But that does not mean that it is not a genuine reality. And the fact that this reality is not accessible to us in the same way as material reality makes it no less real."
— from Attributed
"The very nature of the quantum theory thus forces us to regard the space-time co-ordination and the claim of causality, the union of which characterizes the classical theories, as complementary but exclusive features of the description, symbolizing the idealization of observation and definition respectively."
— from Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature, 1929
All quotes by Niels Bohr (768)
Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk.
Science advances one funeral at a time.
The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.
In the realm of quantum physics, reality is probabilistic.
Life is full of paradoxes, much like quantum mechanics.
The joy of discovery is the true reward of science.
We must embrace the unknown to progress.
Complementarity teaches us that opposites can coexist.
The atom's secrets are revealed through mathematics.
Humor is the great thing, the saving thing.
Quantum theory is the most revolutionary discovery in physics.
The meaning of life is found in the pursuit of knowledge.
In science, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
The wave-particle duality is a profound mystery.
Peace is the highest human value.
The development of atomic power should be under international control.
Science knows no country.
The artist and the scientist both seek truth.
Beauty in physics is in the harmony of equations.
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
Contemporaries of Niels Bohr
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Niels Bohr (1885–1962).