Enrico Fermi Quotes

When asked what he meant by a miracle: Oh, anything with a probability of less than 20%.
ENRICO FERMI

Magic Miracle Myself Probability
Ignorance is never better than knowledge.
ENRICO FERMI

Better Ignorance Knowledge
It does not say in the Bible that all laws of nature are expressible linearly!
ENRICO FERMI

Book Expression Law Nature Religious
There are two possible outcomes: if the result confirms the hypothesis, then you’ve made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you’ve made a discovery.
ENRICO FERMI

Confirmation Discover Measurement Possible Result Science Yourself
The fundamental point in fabricating a chain reacting machine is of course to see to it that each fission produces a certain number of neutrons and some of these neutrons will again produce fission.
ENRICO FERMI

Fabric Fundamental Production Science
Where is everybody? Humans could theoretically colonize the galaxy in a million years or so, and if they could, astronauts from older civilizations could do the same. So why haven’t they come to Earth?
ENRICO FERMI

Civilization Earth Human Old Theory Time
Young man, if I could remember the names of these particles, I would have been a botanist.
ENRICO FERMI

Man Myself Name Remember Young
Before I came here I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture I am still confused. But on a higher level.
ENRICO FERMI

Confusion Funny Listening Myself Subject
Whatever Nature has in store for mankind, unpleasant as it may be, men must accept, for ignorance is never better than knowledge.
ENRICO FERMI

Better Happiness Kind Knowledge Man Nature
Experimental confirmation of a prediction is merely a measurement. An experiment disproving a prediction is a discovery.
ENRICO FERMI

Confirmation Discover Experiment Measurement Prediction
It is not good to try to stop knowledge from going forward. Ignorance is never better than knowledge.
ENRICO FERMI

Better Goodness Ignorance Knowledge Stop Try
An experiment disproving a prediction is discovery.
ENRICO FERMI

Discover Experiment Prediction Science
Never underestimate the joy people derive from hearing something they already know.
ENRICO FERMI

Happiness Joy People

Famous Italian physicists