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Simon Newcomb

Simon Newcomb Quotes

Astronomer

Simon Newcomb, an American astronomer born on March 12, 1835, and died on July 11, 1909, is renowned for his contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics, particularly in astronomical measurements and celestial mechanics. His work has had a profound impact on modern astronomy and navigation.

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Famous Simon Newcomb Quotes

“My first undertaking in the way of scientific experiment was in the field of economics and psychology.”

Way Firsts Psychology Fields Economics Experiments Undertakings

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“So far as the economic condition of society and the general mode of living and thinking were concerned, I might claim to have lived in the time of the American Revolution.”

Thinking Might Economic Conditions Revolution Concerned Claims American Revolution

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“Whenever a total eclipse of the sun was visible in an accessible region parties were sent out to observe it.”

Party Sun Visible Regions Eclipse Total Eclipse Eclipse Of The Sun

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“Until I was four years old I lived in the house of my paternal grandfather, about two miles from the pretty little village of Wallace, at the mouth of the river of that name.”

Years Littles Two House Names Four Mouths Rivers Miles Village Four Years Grandfather

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“What we now call school training, the pursuit of fixed studies at stated hours under the constant guidance of a teacher, I could scarcely be said to have enjoyed.”

Said School Hours Study Teacher Training Constant Pursuit Enjoyed Fixed Guidance

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“When about fifteen I once made a great scandal by taking out my knife in prayer meeting and assaulting a young man who, while I was kneeling down during the prayer, stood above me and squeezed my neck.”

Men Made Young Prayer Meetings Young Man Necks Knives Fifteen Scandal Kneeling Prayer Meeting

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“Construction of an aerial vehicle which can carry even a single man . . . requires the discovery of some new metal or force. Even with such a discovery, we could not expect one to do more than carry its owner.”

Men Force Discovery Flight Owners Construction Metals Vehicle Single Man

Author:Simon Newcomb

“Ten decimal places of π are sufficient to give the circumference of the earth to a fraction of an inch, and thirty decimal places would give the circumference of the visible universe to a quantity imperceptible to the most powerful microscope.”

Giving Earth Universe Powerful Ten Thirty Sufficient Visible Most Powerful Quantity Inches Fractions Microscopes Decimals

Author:Simon Newcomb

“A few years later the Naval Academy was founded at Annapolis, and a similar course was pursued to provide it with a corps of instructors.”

Years Courses Pursued Academy Naval Instructors Annapolis Naval Academy

Author:Simon Newcomb

“I was taught the alphabet by my aunts before I was four years old, and I was reading the Bible in class and beginning geography when I was six.”

Years Reading Class Four Taught Six Four Years Aunt Geography Alphabet Reading The Bible

Author:Simon Newcomb

“James Edward Oliver might have been one of the great mathematicians of his time had he not been absolutely wanting in the power of continuous work.”

Has Beens Might Mathematician Might Have Been

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.”

Ifs Space Impossible Air Machines Flight Airplane Predictions Insignificant Predicting The Future

Author:Simon Newcomb

“Quite likely the twentieth century is destined to see the natural forces which will enable us to fly from continent to continent with a speed far exceeding that of a bird.”

Force Natural Century Bird Speed Airplane Continents Destined Twentieth Century

Author:Simon Newcomb

“The demonstration that no possible combination of known substances, known forms of machinery and known forms of force, can be united in a practical machine by which men shall fly along distances through the air, seems to the writer as complete as it is possible for the demonstration to be.”

Men Seems Form Force Space United Known Air Future Machines Distance Practicals Combination Substance Airplane Machinery Demonstration Long Distance Flying Machines

Author:Simon Newcomb

“The mathematician of to-day admits that he can neither square the circle, duplicate the cube or trisect the angle. May not our mechanicians, in like manner, be ultimately forced to admit that aerial flight is one of that great class of problems with which men can never cope... I do not claim that this is a necessary conclusion from any past experience. But I do think that success must await progress of a different kind from that of invention.”

Thinking Men Kind May Different Problem Past Class Progress Claims Circles Invention Conclusion Flight Squares Different Kinds Airplane Mathematician Angle Cubes Past Experiences Duplicate

Author:Simon Newcomb

“As years passed away I have formed the habit of looking back upon that former self as upon another person, the remembrance of whose emotions has been a solace in adversity and added zest to the enjoyment of prosperity.”

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“We are probably nearing the limit of all we can know about astronomy.”

Knows Science Knowledge Limits Astronomy

Author:Simon Newcomb

“One hardly knows where, in the history of science, to look for an important movement that had its effective start in so pure and simple an accident as that which led to the building of the great Washington telescope, and went on to the discovery of the satellites of Mars.”

Knows Looks Important Science Simple Knowledge Movement Building Pure Discovery Importance Accidents Mars Telescopes Satellites History Of Science

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“My father was the most rational and the most dispassionate of men.”

Men Father Dad Rational Boyfriend Dispassionate

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“In 1858 I received the degree of D. S. from the Lawrence Scientific School, and thereafter remained on the rolls of the university as a resident graduate.”

Inspirational School Funny Degrees University Graduates Graduation Residents

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“As the existence of a corps of professors of mathematics is peculiar to our navy, as well as an apparent, perhaps a real, anomaly, some account of it may be of interest.”

Wells May Real Interest Existence Accounts Mathematics Sensual Professors Peculiar Navy Anomalies

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“Aerial flight is one of that class of problems with which man will never be able to cope. . . . The example of the bird does not prove that man can fly. Imagine the proud possessor of the aeroplane darting through the air at a speed of several hundred feet per second. It is the speed alone that sustains him. How is he ever going to stop?”

Men Doe Problem Able Class Imagine Air Feet Example Proud Future Prove Bird Hundred Speed Flight Aviation Predictions Aeroplanes

Author:Simon Newcomb

“Aerial flight is one of that class of problems with which man will never be able to cope.”

Men Problem Able Science Class Flight

Author:Simon Newcomb

“In 1860 a total eclipse of the sun was visible in British America.”

America Sun British Visible Eclipse Total Eclipse Eclipse Of The Sun Solar Eclipse

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“My father followed, during most of his life, the precarious occupation of a country school teacher.”

Country School Father Teacher Occupation Precarious School Teachers School Life

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“Though born in Nova Scotia, I am of almost pure New England descent.”

Born Pure England Descent New England Nova Scotia Novas

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“All attempts at artificial aviation are not only dangerous to human life, but foredoomed to failure from the engineering standpoint.”

Humans Dangerous Human Life Aviation Artificial Engineering Standpoint

Author:Simon Newcomb

“The beginning of 1856 found me teaching in the family of a planter named Bryan, residing in Prince George County, Md., some fifteen or twenty miles from Washington.”

Found Teaching Twenties Miles Fifteen County Bryan Planters

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“The reports of the eclipse parties not only described the scientific observations in great detail, but also the travels and experiences, and were sometimes marked by a piquancy not common in official documents.”

Sometimes Party Common Sea Details Observation Officials Reports Documents Eclipse Swagger Swag

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“The time was not yet ripe for the growth of mathematical science among us, and any development that might have taken place in that direction was rudely stopped by the civil war.”

War Might Growth Taken Development Mathematical Civil War Rude Ripe

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“If my impressions are correct, our educational planing mill cuts down all the knots of genius, and reduces the best of the men who go through it to much the same standard.”

Ifs Men Science Education Cutting He Man Genius Standards Educational Impression Knots Mills

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“I had not yet gotten into the world of light. But I felt as one who, standing outside, could knock against the wall and hear an answering knock from within.”

World Light Felt Wall Standing Standing Out Standing Alone

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“The result was that, if it happened to clear off after a cloudy evening, I frequently arose from my bed at any hour of the night or morning and walked two miles to the observatory to make some observation included in the programme.”

Ifs Two Night Hours Results Morning Clear Happened Bed Miles Observation Evening Programmes Cloudy

Author:Simon Newcomb

“I finally reached the conclusion that mathematics was the study I was best fitted to follow, though I did not clearly see in what way I should turn the subject to account.”

Way Should Turns Study Subjects Accounts Mathematics Conclusion

Book:The reminiscences of an astronomer

Source: The reminiscences of an astronomer

“One of the most beautiful hypotheses ever propounded in physics is ... the Dynamical Theory of Gases”

Beautiful Science Theory Physics Hypothesis

Author:Simon Newcomb

About the Author

Born: March 12, 1835
Died: July 11, 1909
Known for: Astronomer
Quotes: 35

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