The aim of science is to seek the simplest explanations of complex facts.
Seek simplicity and distrust it. -- Whitehead.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Fortune Quote #1277
Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly
big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug
store, but that's just peanuts to space. -- Douglas Adams, "The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug
store, but that's just peanuts to space. -- Douglas Adams, "The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
Friday, January 29, 2016
Fortune Quote #1276
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. --
Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Fortune Quote #1275
Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and think what nobody
else has thought.
else has thought.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Fortune Quote #1274
Reality must take precedence over public relations, for Mother Nature
cannot be fooled. -- R.P. Feynman
cannot be fooled. -- R.P. Feynman
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Fortune Quote #1273
Quantum Mechanics is a lovely introduction to Hilbert Spaces! --
Overheard at Archimedeans' Garden Party
Overheard at Archimedeans' Garden Party
Monday, January 25, 2016
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Fortune Quote #1271
Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon compounds. Biochemistry is
the study of carbon compounds that crawl. -- Mike Adams
the study of carbon compounds that crawl. -- Mike Adams
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Fortune Quote #1270
One thing they don't tell you about doing experimental physics is that
sometimes you must work under adverse conditions... like a state of sheer
terror. -- W.K. Hartmann
sometimes you must work under adverse conditions... like a state of sheer
terror. -- W.K. Hartmann
Friday, January 22, 2016
Fortune Quote #1269
One of the chief duties of the mathematician in acting as an advisor... is
to discourage... from expecting too much from mathematics. -- N.
Wiener
to discourage... from expecting too much from mathematics. -- N.
Wiener
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Fortune Quote #1268
One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in
contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of
scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and
dull, but also just stupid. -- J.D. Watson, "The Double Helix"
contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of
scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and
dull, but also just stupid. -- J.D. Watson, "The Double Helix"
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Fortune Quote #1267
One can search the brain with a microscope and not find the mind, and can
search the stars with a telescope and not find God. -- J. Gustav
White
search the stars with a telescope and not find God. -- J. Gustav
White
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Fortune Quote #1266
This isn't right. This isn't even wrong. -- Wolfgang Pauli, on a
paper submitted by a physicist colleague
paper submitted by a physicist colleague
Monday, January 18, 2016
Fortune Quote #1265
He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts -- for support rather
than illumination. -- Andrew Lang
than illumination. -- Andrew Lang
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Fortune Quote #1264
Of course you can't flap your arms and fly to the moon. After a while
you'd run out of air to push against.
you'd run out of air to push against.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Fortune Quote #1263
Nothing is rich but the inexhaustible wealth of nature. She shows us only
surfaces, but she is a million fathoms deep. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
surfaces, but she is a million fathoms deep. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, January 15, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Fortune Quote #1261
Never worry about theory as long as the machinery does what it's supposed
to do. -- R. A. Heinlein
to do. -- R. A. Heinlein
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Fortune Quote #1260
Nature is by and large to be found out of doors, a location where, it
cannot be argued, there are never enough comfortable chairs. --
Fran Lebowitz
cannot be argued, there are never enough comfortable chairs. --
Fran Lebowitz
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Fortune Quote #1259
Murphy's Law, that brash proletarian restatement of Godel's
Theorem. -- Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"
Theorem. -- Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"
Monday, January 11, 2016
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Fortune Quote #1256
Just because they are called 'forbidden' transitions does not mean that
they are forbidden. They are less allowed than allowed transitions, if you
see what I mean. -- From a Part 2 Quantum Mechanics lecture.
they are forbidden. They are less allowed than allowed transitions, if you
see what I mean. -- From a Part 2 Quantum Mechanics lecture.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Fortune Quote #1255
It seems intuitively obvious to me, which means that it might be
wrong. -- Chris Torek
wrong. -- Chris Torek
Thursday, January 7, 2016
Fortune Quote #1254
It is true that if your paperboy throws your paper into the bushes for
five straight days it can be explained by Newton's Law of Gravity. But it
takes Murphy's law to explain why it is happening to you.
five straight days it can be explained by Newton's Law of Gravity. But it
takes Murphy's law to explain why it is happening to you.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Fortune Quote #1253
It is now quite lawful for a Catholic woman to avoid pregnancy by a resort
to mathematics, though she is still forbidden to resort to physics and
chemistry. -- H.L. Mencken
to mathematics, though she is still forbidden to resort to physics and
chemistry. -- H.L. Mencken
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Fortune Quote #1252
It is not that polar co-ordinates are complicated, it is simply that
cartesian co-ordinates are simpler than they have a right to be. --
Kleppner & Kolenhow, "An Introduction to Mechanics"
cartesian co-ordinates are simpler than they have a right to be. --
Kleppner & Kolenhow, "An Introduction to Mechanics"
Monday, January 4, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Fortune Quote #1250
Isn't it interesting that the same people who laugh at science fiction
listen to weather forecasts and economists? -- Kelvin Throop III
listen to weather forecasts and economists? -- Kelvin Throop III
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Fortune Quote #1249
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really
good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they actually change
their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really
do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are
human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot
recall the last time something like that happened in politics or
religion. -- Carl Sagan, 1987 CSICOP keynote address
good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they actually change
their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really
do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are
human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot
recall the last time something like that happened in politics or
religion. -- Carl Sagan, 1987 CSICOP keynote address
Friday, January 1, 2016
Fortune Quote #1248
In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the
universe. -- Carl Sagan, Cosmos
universe. -- Carl Sagan, Cosmos
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