Enrico Fermi

The greatest tragedy of science is the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.

One day, when I was a student, I was reading a book on quantum mechanics, and I came across a sentence that said: 'The electron is a wave, and the electron is a particle.' I was very confused, because I thought it was either one or the other. But then I realized that it was both.

When we were working on the atomic bomb, we knew that we were doing something that would change the world forever.

The first principle of science is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.

I believe that the future of humanity depends on our ability to control the forces that we have unleashed.

There is no limit to the futility of human endeavor.

The problem with statistics is that you can prove anything with them.

The universe is a strange and wonderful place, and we are only beginning to understand it.

My father used to say that the only way to learn something is to make mistakes, and then learn from them.

The history of science is full of examples of people who thought they knew everything, and then discovered that they knew very little.

We are like children playing on the seashore, and we have found a few smooth pebbles and pretty shells, while the great ocean of truth lies undiscovered before us.

I am not a genius. I am just a curious person.

The atomic bomb is a terrible weapon, but it is also a powerful tool for peace.

The main point is to be honest with yourself, and to admit when you are wrong.

I have been very lucky in my life, because I have always been able to do what I love.

The universe is governed by laws, and it is our job to discover those laws.

The greatest adventure of all is to explore the unknown.

I am not afraid of death, because I know that I have lived a full life.

The most important thing in science is to have a good question.

I believe that science is the key to understanding the universe, and to solving the problems of humanity.