“I remember discussions with Bohr which went through many hours till very late at night and ended almost in despair; and when at the end of the discussion I went alone for a walk in the neighbouring park I repeated to myself again and again the question: Can nature possibly be so absurd as it seemed to us in these atomic experiments?” ScienceNatureDespairPhysicsExperimentsAbsurdQuantum MechanicsBohrNiels Bohr Author:Werner Heisenberg
“What we observe is not nature itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning. Our scientific work in physics consists in asking questions about nature in the language that we possess and trying to get an answer from experiment by the means that are at our disposal.” TryingMeanScienceLanguageNatureNaturalAnswersAskingMethodPhysicsExperimentsObservationExposedQuestioningAsking Questions Author:Werner Heisenberg
“Science no longer is in the position of observer of nature, but rather recognizes itself as part of the interplay between man and nature. The scientific method ... changes and transforms its object: the procedure can no longer keep its distance from the object.” MenScienceNaturePositionObjectsAccountsMethodDistanceObserversProceduresScientific MethodMan And Nature Author:Werner Heisenberg
“You may object that by speaking of simplicity and beauty I am introducing aesthetic criteria of truth, and I frankly admit that I am strongly attracted by the simplicity and beauty of mathematical schemes which nature presents us. You must have felt this too: the almost frightening simplicity and wholeness of the relationship, which nature suddenly spreads out before us.” MayTruthScienceFeltNatureNaturalObjectsSimplicitySpreadMathematicalAestheticIntroducingFrighteningSchemesWholenessCriteria Author:Werner Heisenberg
“Nature is made in such a way as to be able to be understood. Or perhaps I should put it-more correctly-the other way around, and say that we are made in such a way as to be able to understand Nature.” WayShouldMadeAbleScienceUnderstandingNatureUnderstood Author:Werner Heisenberg
“The exact sciences also start from the assumption that in the end it will always be possible to understand nature, even in every new field of experience, but that we may make no a priori assumptions about the meaning of the word understand.” MayEndsNatureEnvironmentFieldsEnvironmentalAssumptionExact Sciences Author:Werner Heisenberg
