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Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr Quotes

Physicist

Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist renowned for his significant contributions to quantum mechanics. He proposed the Bohr model, which successfully explained the structure of atoms and the spectral lines. Bohr also introduced the principle of complementarity, which emphasizes the complementary nature of particle and wave properties in quantum systems. He was highly respected in the physics community and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.

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Famous Niels Bohr Quotes

“We must be clear that 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. [About describing atomic models in the language of classical physics:]”

Facts Science Poetry Understanding Teaching Metaphor Physics Atoms Imagery Analogy

Author:Niels Bohr

“Physics is to be regarded not so much as the study of something a priori given, but rather as the development of methods of ordering and surveying human experience. In this respect our task must be to account for such experience in a manner independent of individual subjective judgement and therefore objective in the sense that it can be unambiguously communicated in ordinary human language.”

Humans Individual Language Given Study Development Ordinary Tasks Accounts Independent Method Physics Objectives Judgement Human Experience Subjective Human Language

Book:Collected Works

Source: Collected Works

“Physics is the belief that a simple and consistent description of nature is possible.”

Belief Simple Physics Consistent Description

Author:Niels Bohr

“Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.”

Made Real Reality Physics Quantum Quantum Physics Quantum Mechanics

Author:Niels Bohr

“It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we say about nature.”

Thinking Learning Concern Tasks Physics Programming Quantum Quantum Physics Quantum Mechanics Quantum Theory Science Physics Theoretical Physics

Author:Niels Bohr

“If anybody says he can think about quantum physics without getting giddy, that only shows he has not understood the first thing about them.”

Ifs Thinking Life Inspirational Firsts Shows Science Understood Physics Quantum Quantum Physics Quantum Mechanics Giddy Science Physics

Author:Niels Bohr

“A physicist is just an atom's way of looking at itself.”

Way Science Physics Atoms Physicist Alaska

Author:Niels Bohr

“How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress.”

Thinking Progress Wonderful Mets Physics Paradox Quantum Mechanics Paradoxical

Author:Niels Bohr

“Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.”

Firsts Science Theory Understood Physics Quantum Shocked Quantum Physics Quantum Mechanics Quantum Theory Science Physics Particle Physics

Author:Niels Bohr

“Anyone not shocked by quantum mechanics has not yet understood it.”

Understood Physics Quantum Shocked Mechanic Quantum Physics Quantum Mechanics

Author:Niels Bohr

“In physics we deal with states of affairs much simpler than those of psychology and yet we again and again learn that our task is not to investigate the essence of things-we do not at all know what this would mean&mash;but to develop those concepts that allow us to speak with each other about the events of nature in a fruitful manner.”

Knows Mean States Science Speak Deals Knowledge Psychology Events Concepts Tasks Essence Affair Simplicity Physics Again And Again

Author:Niels Bohr

“When asked ... [about] an underlying quantum world, Bohr would answer, 'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.'”

Thinking World Science Nature Natural Answers Concern Tasks Physics Abstract Description Quantum Quantum Physics Quantum Theory

Author:Niels Bohr

About the Author

Born: October 7, 1885
Died: November 18, 1962
Known for: Physicist
Quotes: 95

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Science Quantum Mechanics Quantum Physics Ifs Opposites Thinking Understood Inspirational Quantum Physics Quantum Theory Tasks Theory Truth Atoms Facts Firsts Language Description Enough

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Books & Sources

Atomic Physics and Human KnowledgeRelated source material

Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature: Four Essays with an Introductory SurveyRelated source material

Collected WorksRelated source material

Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature: Four EssaysRelated source material

The Periodic System (1920-1923)Related source material

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