Anybody who is not shocked by this subject has failed to understand it. [of quantum mechanics] Niels Bohr More Quotes by Niels Bohr More Quotes From Niels Bohr Our task is not to penetrate the essence of things, the meaning of which we do not know anyway, but rather to develop concepts which allow us to talk in a productive way about phenomena in nature Niels Bohr tasksessenceway Some subjects are so serious that one can only joke about them. Niels Bohr jokessubjectsserious Isolated material particles are abstractions, their properties being definable and observable only through their interaction with other systems . Niels Bohr interaction-with-othersisolatedmaterials Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it. Niels Bohr physicssciencefirsts There are two sorts of truth: trivialities, where opposites are clearly absurd, and profound truths, recognised by the fact that the opposite is also a profound truth Niels Bohr spiritualoppositestwo An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation. Niels Bohr agencysciencereality If you have a correct statement, then the opposite of a correct statement is of course an incorrect statement, a wrong statement. But when you have a deep truth, then the opposite of a deep truth may again be a deep truth. Niels Bohr coursesoppositesmay Truth and clarity are complementary. Niels Bohr complementaryclaritybadass Truth is something that we can attempt to doubt, and then perhaps, after much exertion, discover that part of the doubt is not justified. Niels Bohr truthdiscoveryscience Physics is to be regarded not so much as the study of something a priori given, but rather as the development of methods of ordering and surveying human experience. In this respect our task must be to account for such experience in a manner independent of individual subjective judgement and therefore objective in the sense that it can be unambiguously communicated in ordinary human language. Niels Bohr independentjudgementdevelopment In physics we deal with states of affairs much simpler than those of psychology and yet we again and again learn that our task is not to investigate the essence of things-we do not at all know what this would mean&mash;but to develop those concepts that allow us to speak with each other about the events of nature in a fruitful manner. Niels Bohr sciencemeanknowledge It is difficult to predict, especially the future. Niels Bohr futuredifficult And anyone who thinks they can talk about quantum theory without feeling dizzy hasn't yet understood the first thing about it. Niels Bohr feelingsfirststhinking Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand. The exponential increase in advancement will only continue. Anthropological Commentary The opposite of a trivial truth is false; the opposite of a great truth is also true. Niels Bohr technologyoppositesyears Oh what idiots we have all been, this is just as it must be Niels Bohr idiotspiritual Rutherford is a man you can rely on; he comes regularly and enquires how things are going and talks about the smallest details - Rutherford is such an outstanding man and really interested in the work of all the people around him. Niels Bohr detailsmenpeople It is very difficult to make an accurate prediction, especially about the future. Niels Bohr accuratepredictionsdifficult Predition is risky, especially of the future. Niels Bohr All rising curves that show unwelcome trends in human affairs will approach infinity if extended far enough, but it is we who dictate the curve and not vice versa. Niels Bohr risingcurvesvices Anyone who can contemplate quantum mechanics without getting dizzy hasn't understood it. Niels Bohr dizzymechanicquantum
