I ask you to look both ways. For the road to a knowledge of the stars leads through the atom; and important knowledge of the atom has been reached through the stars. Arthur Eddington More Quotes by Arthur Eddington More Quotes From Arthur Eddington The helium which we handle must have been put together at some time and some place. We do not argue with the critic who urges that the stars are not hot enough for this process; we tell him to go and find a hotter place. Arthur Eddington starstogetherscience The mathematics is not there till we put it there. Arthur Eddington mathematicssensual In the world of physics we watch a shadowgraph performance of the drama of familiar life. The shadow of my elbow rests on the shadow table as the shadow ink flows over the shadow paper. It is all symbolic, and as a symbol the physicist leaves it. ... The frank realisation that physical science is concerned with a world of shadows is one of the most significant of recent advances. Arthur Eddington inkshadowdrama There once was a brainy baboon, Arthur Eddington baboonstunesyears Schrödinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory, but a dodge - and a very good dodge too. Arthur Eddington dodgewavescience To the pure geometer the radius of curvature is an incidental characteristic - like the grin of the Cheshire cat. To the physicist it is an indispensable characteristic. It would be going too far to say that to the physicist the cat is merely incidental to the grin. Physics is concerned with interrelatedness such as the interrelatedness of cats and grins. In this case the "cat without a grin" and the "grin without a cat" are equally set aside as purely mathematical phantasies. Arthur Eddington catwould-bemath Our ultimate analysis of space leads us not to a "here" and a "there," but to an extension such as that which relates "here" and "there." To put the conclusion rather crudely-space is not a lot of points close together; it is a lot of distances interlocked. Arthur Eddington distancespacescience Unless the structure of the nucleus has a surprise in store for us, the conclusion seems plain — there is nothing in the whole system of laws of physics that cannot be deduced unambiguously from epistemological considerations. Arthur Eddington lawscienceknowledge The universe will finally become a ball of radiation, becoming more and more rarified and passing into longer and longer wave-lengths. The longest waves of radiation are Hertzian waves of the kind used in broadcasting. About every 1500 million years this ball of radio waves will double in diameter; and it will go on expanding in geometrical progression for ever. Perhaps then I may describe the end of the physical world as-one stupendous broadcast. Arthur Eddington radio-wavesfutureyears Time is the supreme Law of nature. Arthur Eddington time-managementsupremelaw A star is drawing on some vast reservoir of energy by means unknown to us. This reservoir can scarcely be other than the subatomic energy which, it is known exists abundantly in all matter; we sometimes dream that man will one day learn how to release it and use it for his service. The store is well nigh inexhaustible, if only it could be tapped. There is sufficient in the Sun to maintain its output of heat for 15 billion years. Arthur Eddington learningstarsdream But it is necessary to insist more strongly than usual that what I am putting before you is a model-the Bohr model atom-because later I shall take you to a profounder level of representation in which the electron instead of being confined to a particular locality is distributed in a sort of probability haze all over the atom. Arthur Eddington atomsusualscience If your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics I give you no hope; there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation. Arthur Eddington lawfoundgiving In Einstein's theory of relativity the observer is a man who sets out in quest of truth armed with a measuring-rod. In quantum theory he sets out with a sieve. Arthur Eddington questsphysicsmen We have found that where science has progressed the farthest, the mind has but regained from nature that which the mind put into nature. Arthur Eddington naturefoundmind The word reality frightens me. Arthur Eddington reality Asked in 1919 whether it was true that only three people in the world understood the theory of general relativity, [Eddington] allegedly replied: "Who's the third?" Arthur Eddington understandingsciencepeople Falling in love is one of the activities forbidden that tiresome person, the consistently reasonable man. Arthur Eddington falling-in-lovelove-ismen For the truth of the conclusions of physical science, observation is the supreme Court of Appeal. Arthur Eddington appealslearningtruth [When thinking about the new relativity and quantum theories] I have felt a homesickness for the paths of physical science where there are ore or less discernible handrails to keep us from the worst morasses of foolishness. Arthur Eddington pathsciencethinking
