#physicist

The verbal interpretation, on the other hand, i.e. the metaphysics of quantum physics, is on far less solid ground. In fact, in more than forty years physicists have not been able to provide a clear metaphysical model. ↗

— Erwin Schrodinger

#been #clear #fact #far #far less

Physics is becoming so unbelievably complex that it is taking longer and longer to train a physicist. It is taking so long, in fact, to train a physicist to the place where he understands the nature of physical problems that he is already too old to solve them. ↗

— Eugene Wigner

#becoming #complex #fact #in fact #long

Many respectable physicists said that they weren't going to stand for this -- partly because it was a debasement of science, but mostly because they didn't get invited to those sort of parties. ↗

— Douglas Adams

#physicists #humor

The weapons were conceived and created by a small band of physicists and chemists; they remain a cataclysmic threat to the whole of human society and the natural environment. ↗

— Barry Commoner

#cataclysmic #chemists #conceived #created #environment

In 2002, having spent more than three years in one residence for the first time in my life, I got called for jury duty. I show up on time, ready to serve. When we get to the voir dire, the lawyer says to me, “I see you’re an astrophysicist. What’s that?” I answer, “Astrophysics is the laws of physics, applied to the universe—the Big Bang, black holes, that sort of thing.” Then he asks, “What do you teach at Princeton?” and I say, “I teach a class on the evaluation of evidence and the relative unreliability of eyewitness testimony.” Five minutes later, I’m on the street. A few years later, jury duty again. The judge states that the defendant is charged with possession of 1,700 milligrams of cocaine. It was found on his body, he was arrested, and he is now on trial. This time, after the Q&A is over, the judge asks us whether there are any questions we’d like to ask the court, and I say, “Yes, Your Honor. Why did you say he was in possession of 1,700 milligrams of cocaine? That equals 1.7 grams. The ‘thousand’ cancels with the ‘milli-’ and you get 1.7 grams, which is less than the weight of a dime.” Again I’m out on the street. ↗

— Neil deGrasse Tyson

#astrophysics #eyewitness #jury-duty #science #universe

What appeared to the earlier physicists to be the constant quantity of heat is nothing more than the whole motive power of the motion of heat, which remains constant so long as it is not transformed into other forms of work, or results afresh from them. ↗

— Hermann von Helmholtz

#appeared #constant #earlier #forms #heat

Energy is a concept that has been coined by physicists. There is no observable thing known as energy anywhere. ↗

— Abdolkarim Soroush

#been #coined #concept #energy #known

Our science has become terrible, our research dangerous, our findings deadly. We physicists have to make peace with reality. Reality is not as strong as we are. We will ruin reality. ↗

— Friedrich Durrenmatt

#dangerous #deadly #findings #make #our

I wanted to become a mathematician, physicist or astronomer. ↗

— Philip Emeagwali

#become #i #mathematician #physicist #wanted

The ability to work together has to be in the blood of particle physicists. They learn very early on that it is impossible to advance on one's own and that constant exchange is necessary. ↗

— Rolf-Dieter Heuer

#advance #blood #constant #early #exchange