Georges Lemaître
He proposed the theory of the expanding universe and the 'primeval atom' hypothesis, later known as the Big Bang.
Most quoted
"If the world has begun with a single quantum, the notions of space and time would not have any meaning at the beginning; they would only begin to have a sensible meaning when the original quantum had been divided into a sufficient number of quanta. If this suggestion is correct, the beginning of the world happened a little before the beginning of space and time."
— from Nature, 'The Beginning of the World from the Point of View of Quantum Theory', 1931
"If the world has begun with a single quantum, the notions of space and time would not have any meaning at the beginning; they would only begin to have a sensible meaning when the original quantum had been divided into a sufficient number of quanta. If this is so, the beginning of the world happened a little before the beginning of space and time."
— from Nature, 1931
"If the world has begun with a single quantum, the notions of space and time would not have any meaning at the beginning; they would only begin to have a meaning when the original quantum had been divided into a sufficient number of quanta. If this is so, the beginning of the world happened a little before the beginning of space and time."
— from Nature, 'The Beginning of the World from the Point of View of Quantum Theory', 1931
All quotes by Georges Lemaître (411)
The radial velocities of extra-galactic nebulae are not due to some unknown law of force, but to the expansion of space.
Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind. But they complement each other.
The history of science shows that theories are transient; only the search for truth endures.
If the world has a beginning, and if it is expanding, then it must have been born from a singular point.
As a priest, I see no conflict between my vows and my equations.
The cosmos whispers secrets that mathematics alone can decipher.
Creation is not a hypothesis of astronomy; it is a supernatural fact.
Einstein's static universe was elegant, but observation demanded expansion.
Life's meaning lies in the harmony between spirit and matter, faith and discovery.
The primeval atom hypothesis resolves the paradox of an eternal universe.
Humor in science: Even the universe couldn't resist a good bang.
Quantum theory suggests the universe's birth was probabilistic, not deterministic.
In the silence of the stars, I find God's geometry.
The redshift is not flight, but the fabric of space stretching.
My theory was born in the quiet of Louvain's libraries, not in fanfare.
Science probes the how; theology the why. Together, they unveil the divine plan.
The universe's age is not infinite; it has a youth we can measure.
As we expand our knowledge, so does the universe expand before us.
God created the world with a blueprint of elegance and simplicity.
Hubble's law is the echo of creation's first breath.
Contemporaries of Georges Lemaître
Other Cosmologys born within 50 years of Georges Lemaître (1894–1966).