Steven Weinberg

understand universe human life farce tragedy

“The effort to understand the universe is one of the very few things that lifts human life a little above the level of farce, and gives it some of the grace of tragedy. ”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

universe comprehensive pointless

“The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

science believe god

“Science doesn't make it impossible to believe in God, it just makes it possible not to believe in God”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

evil world design

“I don't need to argue here that the evil in the world proves that the universe is not designed, but only that there are no signs of benevolence that might have shown the hand of a designer.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

religion human dignity good evil

“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

medicin authority investigation

“It is not only in medicine that persons in authority will resist any investigation that might reduce their authority.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

far supernatural intervention

“the idea is to see how far one can go without supposing supernatural intervention.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

nature laws goodness justice love strife

“We simply do not find anything in the laws of nature that in any way corresponds to ideas of goodness, justice, love, or strife,”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

academic learn teach course

“As is natural for an academic, when I want to learn about something, I volunteer to teach a course on the subject.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

scientific theory deduce mathematical reasoning

“scientific theories cannot be deduced by purely mathematical reasoning.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

fundamental science practical reason

“at its most fundamental level science is not undertaken for any practical reason.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

philosophy of science - scientists - ornitology - birds

“Philosophy of science is about as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds.”

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)

quantum mechanics interpretation flaw physicist satisfy

"My own conclusion is that today there is no interpretation of quantum mechanics that does not have serious flaws. This view is not universally shared. Indeed, many physicists are satisfied with their own interpretation of quantum mechanics. But different physicists are satisfied with different interpretations."

― Steven Weinberg (1933-2021)