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Quote by William Crookes

“Most students of nature sooner or later pass through a process of writing off a large percentage of their supposed capital of knowledge as a merely illusory asset. As we trace more accurately certain familiar sequences of phenomena we begin to realize how closely these sequences, or laws , as we call them, are hemmed round by still other laws of which we can form no notion. With myself this writing off of illusory assets has gone rather far and the cobweb of supposed knowledge has been pinched (as some one has phrased) into a particularly small pill.”

Book:Presidential Addresses to the Society for Psychical Research, 1882-1911

Work

Presidential Addresses to the Society for Psychical Research, 1882-1911

This book compiles addresses given by the presidents of the Society for Psychical Research during the specified period, offering insights into the organization's activities and the field of psychical research at that time. more

Author

William Crookes

William Crookes, a British chemist, was born on June 17, 1832, and died on April 4, 1919. Known for his research in chemistry, physics, and astronomy, Crookes made significant contributions to the understanding of gas discharge and radioactivity, which had a profound impact on subsequent scientists. more

“Our alleged facts might be true in all kinds of ways without contradicting any truth already known. I will dwell now on only one possible line of explanation, - not that I see any way of elucidating all the new phenomena I regard as genuine, but because it seems probable I may shed a light on some of those phenomena. All the phenomena of the universe are presumably in some way continuous; and certain facts, plucked as it were from the very heart of nature, are likely to be of use in our gradual discovery of facts which lie deeper still.”

Way Heart Kind May Stills Facts Use Light Seems Might Lying Certain Universe Lines Known Discovery Regard Deeper Genuine All Kinds Being True Explanation Phenomenon Shed Contradicting

Author:William Crookes

“The rare earth elements perplex us in our researches, baffle us in our speculations, and haunt us in our very dreams. They stretch like an unknown sea before us mocking, mystifying and murmuring strange revelations and possibilities.”

Dream Earth Sea Possibility Strange Elements Research Revelations Speculation Murmuring

Author:William Crookes

“Which was first, Matter or Force? If we think on this question, we shall find that we are unable to conceive of matter without force, or force without matter. When God created the elements of which the earth is composed, He created certain wondrous forces, which are set free and become evident when matter acts on matter.”

Ifs Thinking Firsts Matter Earth Certain Force Elements Evident Wondrous

Book:A course of six lectures on the various forces of Matter, and their relations to each other ... Edited by W. Crookes. With numerous illustrations

Source: A course of six lectures on the various forces of Matter, and their relations to each other ... Edited by W. Crookes. With numerous illustrations

“But mainly I learned, in approaching the measurement of new phenomena, not just to consider using existing apparatus but to allow the mind to wander freely and invent new ways of doing the job.”

Way Mind Jobs Wander Phenomenon New Ways Measurement

Author:Val Logsdon Fitch

“At any one time there is a natural tendency among physicists to believe that we already know the essential ingredients of a comprehensive theory . But each time a new frontier of observation is broached we inevitably discover new phenomena which force us to modify substantially our previous conceptions. I believe this process to be unending, that the delights and challenges of unexpected discovery will continue always.”