If I could explain it to the average person, it wouldn't have been worth the Nobel Prize. Richard P. Feynman More Quotes by Richard P. Feynman More Quotes From Richard P. Feynman So my antagonist said, "Is it impossible that there are flying saucers? Can you prove that it's impossible?" "No," I said, "I can't prove it's impossible. It's just very unlikely." At that he said, "You are very unscientific. If you can't prove it impossible then how can you say that it's unlikely?" But that is the way that is scientific. It is scientific only to say what is more likely and what less likely, and not to be proving all the time the possible and impossible. Richard P. Feynman possible-and-impossible flying way Another thing I must point out is that you cannot prove a vague theory wrong. Richard P. Feynman vague prove theory So I have just one wish for you – the good luck to be somewhere where you are free to maintain the kind of integrity I have described, and where you do not feel forced by a need to maintain your position in the organization, or financial support, or so on, to lose your integrity. May you have that freedom. Richard P. Feynman good-luck organization integrity It appears that there are enormous differences of opinion as to the probability of a failure with loss of vehicle and of human life. The estimates range from roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 100,000. The higher figures come from the working engineers, and the very low figures from management. Richard P. Feynman safety differences loss It's amazing how many people even today use a computer to do something you can do with a pencil and paper in less time. Richard P. Feynman simplicity use people If an apple was magnified to the size of the Earth, then the atoms in the apple would be approximately the size of the original apple. Richard P. Feynman atoms apples would-be Mathematics is not just a language. Mathematics is a language plus reasoning. Richard P. Feynman plus mathematics language Science is like sex: sometimes something useful comes out, but that is not the reason we are doing it Richard P. Feynman inspirational funny sex Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Richard P. Feynman things-you-like want work It is the facts that matter, not the proofs. Physics can progress without the proofs, but we can't go on without the facts ... if the facts are right, then the proofs are a matter of playing around with the algebra correctly. Richard P. Feynman progress goes-on science Know how to solve every problem that has been solved. Richard P. Feynman solve know-how problem Of course, you only live one life, and you make all your mistakes, and learn what not to do, and that's the end of you. Richard P. Feynman courses ends mistake We have been led to imagine all sorts of things infinitely more marvelous than the imagining of poets and dreamers of the past. It shows that the imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man. For instance, how much more remarkable it is for us all to be stuck-half of us upside down-by a mysterious attraction, to a spinning ball that has been swinging in space for billions of years, than to be carried on the back of an elephant supported on a tortoise swimming in a bottomless sea. Richard P. Feynman swimming men past Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty -- some most unsure, some nearly sure, none absolutely certain. Richard P. Feynman absolute-certainty degrees body The real question of government versus private enterprise is argued on too philosophical and abstract a basis. Theoretically, planning may be good. But nobody has ever figured out the cause of government stupidity—and until they do (and find the cure), all ideal plans will fall into quicksand. Richard P. Feynman philosophical real fall I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there. Richard P. Feynman change education inspirational It is our responsibility as scientists, knowing the great progress which comes from a satisfactory philosophy of ignorance, the great progress which is the fruit of freedom of thought, to proclaim the value of this freedom; to teach how doubt is not to be feared but welcomed and discussed; and to demand this freedom as our duty to all coming generations. Richard P. Feynman freedom responsibility philosophy We never are definitely right, we can only be sure we are wrong. Richard P. Feynman John von Neumann gave me an interesting idea: that you don't have to be responsible for the world that you're in. So I have developed a very powerful sense of social irresponsibility as a result of von Neumann's advice. It's made me a very happy man ever since. But it was von Neumann who put the seed in that grew into my active irresponsibility! Richard P. Feynman powerful men ideas Our poets do not write about it; our artists do not try to portray this remarkable thing. I don't know why. Is nobody inspired by our present picture of the universe? The value of science remains unsung by singers... This is not yet a scientific age. Richard P. Feynman artist age writing
