If this were the whole truth, we should, when entering into a new field, introduce only such quantities as can directly be observed, and formulate natural laws only by means of these quantities.
WERNER HEISENBERGIf this were the whole truth, we should, when entering into a new field, introduce only such quantities as can directly be observed, and formulate natural laws only by means of these quantities.
WERNER HEISENBERGIf we made atomic bombs, we would bring about a terrible change in the world. Who knows what would happen from this?
WERNER HEISENBERGThere is a great difference between discoveries and inventions. With discoveries, one can always be skeptical, and many surprises can take place. In the case of inventions, surprises can really only occur for people who have not had anything to do with it.
WERNER HEISENBERGIn 1924, I became a Dozent in Gottingen and worked out the quantum mechanics during a holiday stay on Heligoland.
WERNER HEISENBERGAlthough the theory of relativity makes the greatest of demands on the ability for abstract thought, still it fulfills the traditional requirements of science insofar as it permits a division of the world into subject and object (observer and observed) and, hence, a clear formulation of the law of causality.
WERNER HEISENBERGSometimes a poor performance is better for enjoyment, because you can look at those things that were wrong and analyze them.
WERNER HEISENBERGWhoever dedicates his life to searching out particular connections of nature will spontaneously be confronted with the question how they harmoniously fit into the whole.
WERNER HEISENBERGWith all this information available, at least to privileged persons, I cannot understand why it is generally held in the United States that we completely missed the basic principle of the bomb until after Hiroshima.
WERNER HEISENBERGCertainly, in the course of time, the splendid things will separate from the hateful.
WERNER HEISENBERGI think that if a United States of Europe were to be formed, it would be in our interests to fight for it, as all our old traditions would remain in such a united Europe, whereas if we were to start now as part of the Russian Empire, everything that had ever been in Germany would disappear.
WERNER HEISENBERGThe problems of language here are really serious. We wish to speak in some way about the structure of the atoms. But we cannot speak about atoms in ordinary language.
WERNER HEISENBERGIt is generally believed that our science is empirical and that we draw our concepts and our mathematical constructs from the empirical data.
WERNER HEISENBERGEvery word or concept, clear as it may seem to be, has only a limited range of applicability.
WERNER HEISENBERGIf the lecture is good, then everything is too smooth. That’s the same in music: if the performance is too good, you really don’t enjoy it, because it just goes by, and you can never penetrate into the heart of it.
WERNER HEISENBERGThe single life is bearable to me only through my work in science, but for the long term, it would be very bad if I had to make do without a very young person next to me.
WERNER HEISENBERGIn America, it was decided to attempt the production of atomic bombs with an effort that would constitute a large part of the collective American war effort.
WERNER HEISENBERG