black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

A physicist is just an atom’s way of looking at itself.

Niels Bohr

In our description of nature the purpose is not to disclose the real essence of the phenomena but only to track down, so far as it is possible, relations between the manifold aspects of our experience.
NIELS BOHR

Experience Nature Possible Purpose Reality
When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images and establishing mental connections.
NIELS BOHR

Connection Creation Establishment Language Mental Photograph Poet Poetry Science
A deep truth is a truth so deep that not only is it true but it’s exact opposite is also true.
NIELS BOHR

Deep Science Truth Wisdom
Of course I don’t believe in it pointing to horseshoe on his office wall. But I understand that it brings you luck whether you believe in it or not.
NIELS BOHR

Believe Faith Understand Wall Yourself
Truth and clarity are complementary.
NIELS BOHR

One Liner Science Truth
Predition is risky, especially of the future.
NIELS BOHR

Funny Future Risk
Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.
NIELS BOHR

Difficult Future Time
One must always do what one really cannot.
NIELS BOHR

Inspirational Oneself
Einstein, stop telling God what to do!
NIELS BOHR

Funny God One Liner
Some things are so serious, they can only be joked about.
NIELS BOHR

Funny Joke Science Serious
The measurement we get when we measure something is not a property of the thing measured.
NIELS BOHR

Measure Property Science
If we couldn’t laugh at ourselves, that would be the end of everything.
NIELS BOHR

End Laughter Ourselves
We are trapped by language to such a degree that every attempt to formulate insight is a play on words.
NIELS BOHR

Language Play Word
There are trivial truths and the great truths. The opposite of a trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also true.
NIELS BOHR

Deep Fake Greatness Truth Wisdom
It is the hallmark of any deep truth that its negation is also a deep truth.
NIELS BOHR

Deep Truth Wisdom
Oh what idiots we have all been, this is just as it must be.
NIELS BOHR

Idiot Spiritual
Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it.
NIELS BOHR

Change Difficult Force Greatness Ourselves Thinking
Your theory is crazy, but it’s not crazy enough to be true.
NIELS BOHR

Crazy Enough Science Technology Theory True Yourself
Address to Albert Einstein: You are not thinking. You are merely being logical.
NIELS BOHR

Logical Thinking Yourself
No, no, you’re not thinking; you’re just being logical.
NIELS BOHR

Funny Logic Thinking Yourself
The present state of atomic theory is characterized by the fact that we not only believe the existence of atoms to be proved beyond a doubt, but also we even believe that we have an intimate knowledge of the constituents of the individual atoms.
NIELS BOHR

Believe Beyond Character Doubt Knowledge Science Theory
I go into the Upanishads to ask questions.
NIELS BOHR

Book Myself Religious
We are all agreed that your theory is crazy. The question which divides us is whether it is crazy enough to have a chance of being correct. My own feeling is that it is not crazy enough.
NIELS BOHR

Crazy Enough Feeling Theory
The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.
NIELS BOHR

Greatness Ideas One Liner
Every sentence I utter must be understood not as an affirmation, but as a question.
NIELS BOHR

Myself Science Understand
Some subjects are so serious that one can only joke about them.
NIELS BOHR

Joke Oneself Serious
An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation.
NIELS BOHR

Agency Independent Ordinary Reality

A physicist is just an atom’s way of looking at itself.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

A physicist is just an atom’s way of looking at itself.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Niels Bohr Quotes