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Theory Quotes

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Theory Quotes

“My main professional interest during the 1970s has been in the dramatic change of concepts and ideas that has occurred in physics during the first three decades of the century, and that is still being elaborated in our current theories of matter. The new concepts in physics have brought about a profound change in our world view; from the mechanistic conception of Descartes and Newton to a holistic and ecological view, a view which I have found to be similar to the views of mystics of all ages and traditions.”

“No one must think that Newton’s great creation can be overthrown in any real sense by this [Theory of Relativity] or by any other theory. His clear and wide ideas will for ever retain their significance as the foundation on which our modern conceptions of physics have been built.”

Thinking Has Beens Ideas Real Clear Modern Creation Theory Built Foundation Wide Physics Significance Conception Newton Relativity Theories Of Relativity

Author:Albert Einstein

“Newton's theory is not 'not right', it just does not cover all distances. Contrary to popular belief, theories in science are not proven wrong, they are just replaced by more complete and convenient theories. To sound provocative, even the geocentric theory was never "proven" wrong, it is just not as convenient as the heliocentric theory, since it requires endless epicycles.”

Doe Science Belief Sound Theory Mathematics Distance Contrary Endless Replaced Proven Convenient Newton Provocative Contrary To Popular Belief Proven Wrong

Author:Nathan Seiberg

“A taxonomy of abilities, like a taxonomy anywhere else in science, is apt to strike a certain type of impatient student as a gratuitous orgy of pedantry. Doubtless, compulsions to intellectual tidiness express themselves prematurely at times, and excessively at others, but a good descriptive taxonomy, as Darwin found in developing his theory, and as Newton found in the work of Kepler, is the mother of laws and theories.”

Law Mother Certain Found Ability Students Theory Type Intellectual Strikes Developing Compulsion Impatient Newton Pedantry Kepler Taxonomy

Author:Raymond Cattell

“The test of science is not whether you are reasonable—there would not be much of physics if that was the case—the test is whether it works. And the great point about Newton’s theory of gravitation was that it worked, that you could actually say something about the motion of the moon without knowing very much about the constitution of the Earth.”

Ifs Earth Cases Knowing Theory Moon Tests Constitution Physics Reasonable Newton Gravitation

Author:Hermann Bondi

“I am a figure skater, which helps me appreciate Newton's theory of mechanics.”

Helping Figures Theory Appreciate Help Me Mechanic Newton Skater

Author:Michio Kaku

“A priori one should expect a chaotic world which cannot be grasped by the mind in any way... The kind of order created by Newton's theory of gravitation...is wholly different. Even if the axioms of the theory are proposed by man, the success of such a project presupposes a high degree of ordering of the objective world.... That is the "miracle" which is being constantly reinforced as our knowledge expands.”

Ifs Men World Way Should Mind Kind Different Order Theory Degrees Projects Miracle Objectives Newton Chaotic Axioms Gravitation

Author:Albert Einstein

“No theory changes what it is a theory about. Nothing is changed because we look at it, talk about it, or analyze it in a new way. Keats drank confusion to Newton for analyzing the rainbow, but the rainbow remained as beautiful as ever and became for many even more beautiful. Man has not changed because we look at him, talk about him, and analyze him scientifically. ... What does change is our chance of doing something about the subject of a theory. Newton's analysis of the light in a rainbow was a step in the direction of the laser.”

Men Way Looks Doe Light Beautiful Chance Steps Subjects Changed Theory Confusion Analysis Rainbow New Ways Drank Newton Analyzing Lasers

Author:B. F. Skinner

“We went to the moon using just Newton's laws of motion and gravity. Newtonian dynamics we call it. So then we find out, "Well, this works because there's certain regimes we've never tested it in." Had we done so, we would show that it didn't work: For example, at very high speeds, very high gravity, Newton's laws fail. They just fail. You need Einstein's laws of motion and gravity. Those would be his special theory of relativity and general theory of relativity. Now you invoke those and it works.”

“You don't discard Newton. Newton becomes the limiting case of how you would apply Einstein's theories.”

Cases Theory Newton

Author:Neil deGrasse Tyson

“The classical example of a successful research programme is Newton's gravitational theory: possibly the most successful research programme ever.”

Successful Example Theory Research Newton Programmes

Book:The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes: Volume 1: Philosophical Papers

Source: The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes: Volume 1: Philosophical Papers