Kip Thorne
He is a leading expert on the astrophysical implications of Einstein's general theory of relativity, particularly gravitational waves and black holes.
Most quoted
"When I work on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only of how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."
— from Paraphrasing R. Feynman, often quoted by Thorne
"The pursuit of knowledge is a journey of self-discovery, and it is one that can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe."
— from Attributed
"The warped side of the universe: Weird objects like black holes, wormholes, gravitational waves, and time machines. That's the side I love."
— from The Warped Side of Our Universe, 2019
All quotes by Kip Thorne (149)
The future of gravitational-wave astronomy is to listen to the symphony of the universe, from black hole mergers to the Big Bang itself.
In physics, sometimes the most elegant mathematics describes the most violent phenomena.
The concept of 'spaghettification': near a black hole, the tidal forces stretch you into a long, thin strand.
Our understanding of the cosmos is always provisional, always subject to revision with new evidence.
The energy released in a black hole merger can, for a brief moment, outshine all the stars in the observable universe combined.
To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.
The study of black holes forces us to confront the limits of both general relativity and quantum mechanics.
The greatest reward for a scientist is not the prize, but the moment of discovery, the 'Eureka!' when nature reveals a secret.
We are explorers. We are driven by a deep need to understand our place in this vast and wondrous universe.
Contemporaries of Kip Thorne
Other Astrophysicss born within 50 years of Kip Thorne (1940).