Scientist

Explore 194 quotes by Scientists

We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality. It cannot lead, it can only serve; and it is not fastidious in its choice of a leader.

Albert Einstein

Buy Out of My Later Years at Amazon Buy Out of My Later Years at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Intelligence Judgment

Author

Albert Einstein

Source

The Goal of Human Existence

Genre

Autobiography and memoir

Language

English

Time

1943 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Einstein, Albert. "The Goal of Human Existence." NBC Broadcast for the United Jewish Appeal. 11 Apr. 1943.

Current Citation

Einstein, Albert. "The Goal of Human Existence." Out of My Later Years. Philosophical Library, 2015, ch. 51.

I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.

Jonas Salk

More information about this quote

Topic

Work

Speaker

Jonas Salk

Language

English

Time

2001 2000s 21st century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Salk, Jonas. On receiving Congressional Medal for Distinguished Civilian Achievement. 23 Apr. 1956, Washington, DC, USA.

Patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.

T.H. Huxley

More information about this quote

Topic

Tenacity Patience Persistence Perseverance

Speaker

T.H. Huxley

Source

On Medical Education

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1870 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." 1870, University College London, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." Collected Essays. Vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, 2011.

There is the greatest practical benefit in making a few failures early in life.

T.H. Huxley

More information about this quote

Topic

Learning from mistakes Failure

Speaker

T.H. Huxley

Source

On Medical Education

Medium

Speech

Language

English

Time

1870 1870s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." 1870, University College London, London, England, UK.

Current Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "On Medical Education." Collected Essays. Vol. 3, Cambridge University Press, 2011.

If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason-for then we would know the mind of God.

Stephen Hawking

A Brief History of Time

On the question of why the universe exists.

Buy A Brief History of Time at Amazon Buy A Brief History of Time at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Origin of the universe The universe Physics

Author

Stephen Hawking

Source

A Brief History of Time

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1988 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Hawking, Steven. A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 1988, conclusion.

The grand aim of all science [is] to cover the greatest number of empirical facts by logical deduction from the smallest possible number of hypotheses or axioms.

Albert Einstein

Buy the book The Universe and Dr. Einstein at Amazon Buy the book The Universe and Dr. Einstein at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Purpose of science Science

Speaker

Albert Einstein

Source

The Universe and Dr. Eistein

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1948 1940s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Einstein, Albert. Quoted in The Universe and Dr. Eistein. Written by Lincoln Barnett. Sloane, 1950. Originally printed in Harpers, 1948.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Carl Sagan

More information about this quote

Topic

Evidence

Author

Carl Sagan

Source

Four Cosmic Questions Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium

Medium

Essay

Language

English

Time

1996 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Sagan, Carl. "Four Cosmic Questions." Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium. Random House, 1997, ch. 5.

It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.

William Whewell

The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences

More information about this quote

Topic

Scientific theory

Author

William Whewell

Source

The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1840 1840s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Whewell, William. The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences: Founded Upon Their History. Vol. 1, London: John W. Parker, 1840.

Current Citation

Whewell, William. The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences: Founded Upon Their History. Vol. 1, Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Human history can be viewed as a slowly dawning awareness that we are members of a larger group. Initially our loyalties were to ourselves and our immediate family, next, to bands of wandering hunter-gatherers, then to tribes, small settlements, city-states, nations. We have broadened the circle of those we love... If we are to survive, our loyalties must be broadened further, to include the whole human community, the entire planet Earth.

Carl Sagan

Cosmos

Buy Cosmos (the book) at Amazon Buy Cosmos (the book) at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Empathy Interconnectedness of all people History

Speaker

Carl Sagan

Source

Cosmos

Medium

TV program

Language

English

Time

1980 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Sagan, Carl. Cosmos. Random House, 1980.

We have unmistakable proof that throughout all past time, there has been a ceaseless devouring of the weak by the strong.

Herbert Spencer

The Principles of Biology

More information about this quote

Topic

Predator and prey

Author

Herbert Spencer

Source

The Principles of Biology

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1865 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Spencer, Herbert. The Principles of Biology. Vol. 1, London: Williams and Norgate, 1864, pt. 3, ch. 2.

Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense, differing from the latter only as a veteran may differ from a raw recruit: and its methods differ from those of common sense only as far as the guardsman's cut and thrust differ from the manner in which a savage wields his club.

T.H. Huxley

More information about this quote

Topic

Science

Author

T.H. Huxley

Source

On the Method of Zadig

Medium

Essay

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1880 1880s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Huxley, Thomas Henry. "The Method of Zadig." 1880, Working Men's College, London, England, UK. Lecture.

Life is a copiously branching bush, continually pruned by the grim reaper of extinction, not a ladder of predictable progress.

Stephen Jay Gould

Buy Wonderful Life at Amazon Buy Wonderful Life at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Randomness Life

Author

Stephen Jay Gould

Source

Wonderful Life

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1989 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Gould, Stephen Jay. Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History. W. W. Norton & Co., 1989, ch. 1.

What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years.

Carl Sagan

Buy a DVD of Cosmos at Amazon Buy a DVD of Cosmos at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Power of literature Books

Speaker

Carl Sagan

Source

Cosmos

Medium

TV program

Language

English

Time

1980 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

"The Persistence of Memory." Presented by Carl Sagan. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, season 1, episode 11. PBS, 7 Dec. 1980.

Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing.

Wernher von Braun

More information about this quote

Topic

Research

Speaker

Wernher von Braun

Source

A Random Walk in Science

Language

English

Time

1973 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Von Braun, Werner. Quoted in A Random Walk in Science, edited by Eric Mendoza. Institute of Physics Publishing, 1973. Originally stated during an interview with The New York Times, 16 Dec. 1957.

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;
I rave no more 'gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.

John Burroughs

More information about this quote

Topic

Waiting Patience

Author

John Burroughs

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1863 1860s 19th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Burroughs, John. "Waiting." The Knickerbocker. New York, Mar. 1863.

The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts.

Paul Ralph Ehrlich

More information about this quote

Topic

Tinkering DIY

Speaker

Paul Ralph Ehrlich

Source

Saturday Review

Medium

Newspaper

Language

English

Time

1971 1970s 20th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Ehrlich, Paul Ralph. Quoted in Saturday Review. 5 June 1971.

In effect, we have redefined the task of science to be the discovery of laws that will enable us to predict events up to the limits set by the uncertainty principle.

Stephen Hawking

A Brief History of Time

Buy A Brief History of Time at Amazon Buy A Brief History of Time at Amazon

More information about this quote

Topic

Science

Author

Stephen Hawking

Source

A Brief History of Time

Genre

Scientific literature

Language

English

Time

1988 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Hawking, Steven. A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes. Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 1988, conclusion.

If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, or whatever you wish to call it) that all things are made of atoms-little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed and into one another.

Richard Feynman

More information about this quote

Topic

Atomism Physics

Speaker

Richard Feynman

Medium

Lecture

Language

English

Time

1961 1960s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Feynman, Richard. Lecture at Caltech. c. 1961, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, USA.

When…we fear science, we really fear ourselves. Human dignity is better served by embracing knowledge.

John C. Polanyi

More information about this quote

Topic

Science

Speaker

John C. Polanyi

Medium

Nobel Prize Lecture Speech

Language

English

Time

1986 1980s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Citation

Polanyi, John C. Nobel banquet speech. 10 Dec. 1986, Stockholm, Sweden.

We are glorious accidents of an unpredictable process with no drive to complexity, not the expected results of evolutionary principles that yearn to produce a creature capable of understanding the mode of its own necessary construction.

Stephen Jay Gould

More information about this quote

Topic

Intelligent life Human evolution Evolution Randomness

Author

Stephen Jay Gould

Source

Full House

Language

English

Time

1996 1990s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Gould, Stephen Jay. Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin. Harmony Books, 1996, pt. 4, ch. 14.