If anybody says he can think about quantum physics without getting giddy, that only shows he has not understood the first thing about them.
Interpretation
Understanding quantum physics is so complex that it can overwhelm those who truly grasp its principles.
Niels Bohr emphasizes that the profound and often counterintuitive nature of quantum physics is such that a true understanding leads to a sense of wonder or even confusion. If one feels unfazed by the complexities of quantum mechanics, it likely indicates that they have not fully grasped its intricacies and the philosophical implications it carries.
In practice
During a lecture on advanced physics, a professor might quote Bohr to illustrate the challenging nature of quantum mechanics.
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.'
An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.
When searching for harmony in life one must never forget that in the drama of existence we are ourselves both actors and spectators.
And anyone who thinks they can talk about quantum theory without feeling dizzy hasn't yet understood the first thing about it.
It takes sixty-five thousand errors before you are qualified to make a rocket.
It is hard to think of practical applications of the black hole. Because practical applications are so remote, many people assume we should not be interested. But this quest to understand the world is what defines us as human beings.
We are made of stellar ash. Our origin and evolution have been tied to distant cosmic events. The exploration of the cosmos is a voyage of self-discovery.
I protest against the use of infinite magnitude ..., which is never permissible in mathematics.
It is in our genes to understand the universe if we can, to keep trying even if we cannot, and to be enchanted by the act of learning all the way.
A great power imposes the obligation of exercising restraint, and we did not live up to this obligation. I think this affected many of the scientists in a subtle sense, and it diminished their desire to continue to work on the bomb.
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