A great deal of my work is just playing with equations and seeing what they give. Paul Dirac More Quotes by Paul Dirac More Quotes From Paul Dirac I consider that I understand an equation when I can predict the properties of its solutions, without actually solving it. Paul Dirac equationsunderstandingscience The aim of science is to make difficult things understandable in a simpler way; the aim of poetry is to state simple things in an incomprehensible way. The two are incompatible. Paul Dirac simpletwoway A theory with mathematical beauty is more likely to be correct than an ugly one that fits some experimental data. Paul Dirac uglyfitdata God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world. Paul Dirac creatinggodbeautiful I do not see how a man can work on the frontiers of physics and write poetry at the same time. They are in opposition. In science you want to say something that nobody knew before, in words which everyone can understand. In poetry you are bound to say ... something that everyone knows already in words that nobody can understand. Paul Dirac poetrywritingmen Pick a flower on Earth and you move the farthest star. Paul Dirac starsinspirationallife Living is worthwhile if one can contribute in some small way to this endless chain of progress. Paul Dirac progresschainsway If we are honest - and scientists have to be - we must admit that religion is a jumble of false assertions, with no basis in reality. Paul Dirac atheismrealityreligion If there is a God, he's a great mathematician. Paul Dirac if-there-is-a-godifsmath A termination of one's life is necessary in the scheme of things to provide a logical reason for unselfishness. . . . The fact that there is an end to one's life compels one to take an interest in things that will continue to live after one is dead. Paul Dirac life-isreasonfacts A physical law must possess mathematical beauty. Paul Dirac mathematical-beautymathematicallaw The fundamental laws necessary for the mathematical treatment of a large part of physics and the whole of chemistry are thus completely known, and the difficulty lies only in the fact that application of these laws leads to equations that are too complex to be solved. Paul Dirac lawsciencelying One could perhaps describe the situation by saying that God is a mathematician of a very high order, and He used very advanced mathematics in constructing the universe. Paul Dirac mathematicsusedorder It is more important to have beauty in one's equations than to have them fit experiment. Paul Dirac mathematical-equationsfitimportant The measure of greatness in a scientific idea is the extent to which it stimulates thought and opens up new lines of research. Paul Dirac greatnessresearchideas Scientific progress is measured in units of courage, not intelligence. Paul Dirac scientific-progressunitsprogress When [Erwin Schrödinger] went to the Solvay conferences in Brussels, he would walk from the station to the hotel where the delegates stayed, carrying all his luggage in a rucksack and looking so like a tramp that it needed a great deal of argument at the reception desk before he could claim a room. Paul Dirac biographiessciencerooms What makes the theory of relativity so acceptable to physicists in spite of its going against the principle of simplicity is its great mathematical beauty. This is a quality which cannot be defined, any more than beauty in art can be defined, but which people who study mathematics usually have no difficulty in appreciating. Paul Dirac appreciatepeopleart Mathematics is the tool specially suited for dealing with abstract concepts of any kind and there is no limit to its power in this field. Paul Dirac toolspowermath I found the best ideas usually came, not when one was actively striving for them, but when one was in a more relaxed state… I used to take long solitary walks on Sundays, during which I tended to review the current situation in a leisurely way. Such occasions often proved fruitful, even though (or perhaps, because) the primary purpose of the walk was relaxation and not research. Paul Dirac sundaylongideas
