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While the finish given to our picture of the world by the theory of relativity has already been absorbed into the general scientific consciousness, this has scarcely occurred to the same extent with those aspects of the general problem of knowledge which have been elucidated by the quantum theory.
Niels Bohr
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Niels Bohr suggests that while relativity is widely accepted in understanding the universe, quantum theory's implications for knowledge remain less understood.

In this quote, Niels Bohr reflects on the contrasting acceptance of two foundational theories in physics: relativity and quantum theory. He points out that although the implications of relativity have become well-integrated into scientific understanding and common consciousness, the deeper philosophical and conceptual challenges posed by quantum theory have not yet been fully realized or appreciated by society at large, emphasizing a gap in understanding the nature of knowledge itself.

Themes

QuantumTheoryRelativityKnowledgeScience

In practice

Example use cases

In a lecture about the implications of quantum mechanics on modern science.

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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.'
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An independant reality in the ordinary physical sense can neither be ascribed to the phenomenon nor to the agencies of observation.
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Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.
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And anyone who thinks they can talk about quantum theory without feeling dizzy hasn't yet understood the first thing about it.
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