Richard P. Feynman

Life - interesting

Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

Study hard and original

“Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

physics is like sex

“Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

responsibility - mistake - failure

“You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

fool yourself

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

highest understanding laughter compassion

“The highest forms of understanding we can achieve are laughter and human compassion.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

religion - science

“Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

economical numbers astronomical

“There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

successful technology - nature

“For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

good idea - no authority

“There is no authority who decides what is a good idea.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

theory - experiment

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

quantum mechanics

“[Quantum mechanics] describes nature as absurd from the point of view of common sense. And yet it fully agrees with experiment. So I hope you can accept nature as She is - absurd.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

nature - simplicity - beauty

“Nature has a great simplicity and therefore a great beauty”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

knowing - difference - name

“I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

answers beliefs uncertainty

"I have approximate answers and possible beliefs about different things, but I'm not absolutely sure about anything."

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

die boring hate twice

"I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring"

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

imagination nature man

"The imagination of nature is far, far greater than the imagination of man."

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

smarter sixty-five average statistics

“I couldn't claim that I was smarter than sixty-five other guys--but the average of sixty-five other guys, certainly!”

― Richard Feynman (1918-1988)

disagree science wrong

“If it disagrees with experiment, it is wrong.”

― Richard Feynman (1918-1988)

create understand

“What I cannot create, I do not understand.”

― Richard Feynman (1918-1988)

scientific knowledge statement certainty unsure uncertain

"Scientific knowledge is a body of statements of varying degrees of certainty - some most unsure, some nearly sure, none absolutely certain."

― Richard Feynman (1918-1988)

test science predict

“The test of science is its ability to predict”

― Richard Feynman (1918-1988)

plenty room bottom

"There's plenty of room at the bottom."

― Richard Feynman (1918-1988)

quantum mechanics understanding

"I think I can safely say that nobody understands Quantum Mechanics."

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

nature quantum mechanics simulation wonderful problem

"Nature isn't classical, dammit, and if you want to make a simulation of nature, you'd better make it quantum mechanical, and by golly it's a wonderful problem, because it doesn't look so easy."

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

quantum mechanics physics student understanding

"What I am going to tell you about is what we teach our physics students in the third or fourth year of graduate school... It is my task to convince you not to turn away because you don't understand it. You see my physics students don't understand it... That is because I don't understand it. Nobody does."

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

quantum mechanics understanding

"If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics."

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)

question answer critical inquiry

"I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned"

― Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988)