Portrait of Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr

Atomic model

Modern influential 107 sayings

Sayings by Niels Bohr

No, I certainly do not believe in this superstition. But you know, they say that it does bring luck even if you don't believe in it!

Mid 20th century — Response to a visitor asking about a horseshoe above his door.
General Unverifiable

A physicist is just an atom's way of looking at itself.

Mid 20th century — A poetic and witty statement on the nature of scientific inquiry.
General Unverifiable

It is not enough to be wrong, one must also be polite.

Mid 20th century — A witty remark on scientific discourse and etiquette.
General Confirmed

If an idea does not appear bizarre, there is no hope for it.

Mid 20th century — Encouraging radical and unconventional scientific thought.
General Unverifiable

Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future.

Mid 20th century — Widely attributed. Often cited in discussions of complexity and uncertainty.
General Confirmed

Never talk faster than you think.

Mid 20th century — A general piece of advice, often attributed to him.
General Unverifiable

The great challenge of quantum theory is not to understand how it works, but to accept that it works.

Mid 20th century — Attributed, emphasizing the counter-intuitive nature of quantum reality.
Food & Drink Unverifiable

The electron is not a thing but an abstraction.

Mid 20th century — From discussions on the wave-particle duality and the nature of quantum entities.
General Unverifiable

The meaning of life is that it stops.

Mid 20th century — A bleak but witty observation, reflecting a Danish sense of humor.
Life & Aging Unverifiable

The very existence of the atom is a miracle.

Mid 20th century — Attributed, expressing wonder at fundamental physics.
General Unverifiable

One must be clear that, as far as the atoms are concerned, we are not dealing with an analogy to everyday experience but with something quite different.

Mid 20th century — Emphasizing the break from classical intuition required by quantum theory.
General Unverifiable

Physics is an attempt to describe the world, and it is impossible to describe the world without describing ourselves.

Mid 20th century — From his philosophical reflections on the role of the observer in quantum mechanics.
General Unverifiable

The goal of science is to make sense of the world, not to explain it away.

Mid 20th century — Attributed, distinguishing between understanding and reductionism.
General Unverifiable

The meaning of our words depends on the context in which they are uttered.

Mid 20th century — From discussions on language, philosophy, and the interpretation of scientific theories.
General Unverifiable

There are trivial truths and great truths. The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true.

Mid 20th century — Another formulation of his complementarity concept.
Food & Drink Unverifiable

The atom is a tiny planetary system. The electrons revolve around the nucleus just as the planets revolve around the sun.

1913 — From his early model of the atom, an analogy he later refined but was crucial at the time.
General Unverifiable

When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as poetry.

Mid 20th century — Attributed, emphasizing the limitations of classical language for quantum phenomena.
Life & Aging Unverifiable

We are suspended in language. Our task is to communicate experience and ideas to others.

Mid 20th century — From discussions on communication and the role of language in science.
General Unverifiable

The only way to avoid error is to acquire experience, and the only way to acquire experience is to make errors.

Mid 20th century — Attributed, on the learning process.
General Unverifiable

Light and justice are two sides of the same coin.

Mid 20th century — Attributed, possibly from a speech or philosophical discussion.
General Unverifiable
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