"The beaver told the rabbit as they stared at the Hoover Dam: No, I didn't build it myself, but it's based on an idea of mine"
— Charles Hard Townes (1915-2015)
"Science, with its experiments and logic, tries to understand the order or structure of the universe. Religion, with its theological inspiration and reflection, tries to understand the purpose or meaning of the universe. These two are cross-related. Purpose implies structure, and structure ought somehow to be interpretable in terms of purpose."
— Charles Hard Townes (1915-2015)
"The development of science is basically a social phenomenon, dependent on hard work and mutual support of many scientists and on the societies in which they live."
— Charles Hard Townes (1915-2015)
"The imposing edifice of science provides a challenging view of what can be achieved by the accumulation of many small efforts in a steady objective and dedicated search for truth."
— Charles Hard Townes (1915-2015)
"Much public thinking follows a rut. The same thing is true in science. People get stuck and don't look in other directions."
— Charles Hard Townes (1915-2015)