It was not possible to formulate the laws of quantum mechanics in a fully consistent way without reference to the consciousness.
Eugene WignerRead
It takes so long to train a physicist to the place where he understands the nature of physical problems that he is already too old to solve them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Training a physicist is a lengthy process, which often leaves them too old to tackle the problems they were trained to solve.
Eugene Wigner's quote highlights the extensive duration required to train physicists in complex physical theories and problems. By the time they have acquired the necessary expertise, they may no longer possess the youthful vigor or opportunity to engage in groundbreaking work, illustrating a challenge within the field of scientific education and innovation.
Themes
TrainingPhysicistProblemsAgeScience
In practice
Example use cases
In a scientific conference discussing the challenges of long-term research training.
More from Eugene Wigner
All quotes βThe full meaning of life, the collective meaning of all human desires, is fundamentally a mystery beyond our grasp. As a young man, I chafed at this state of affairs. But by now I have made peace with it. I even feel a certain honor to be associated with such a mystery.
Eugene WignerRead
The great mathematician fully, almost ruthlessly, exploits the domain of permissible reasoning and skirts the impermissible. That his recklessness does not lead him into a morass of contradictions is a miracle in itself: certainly it is hard to believe that our reasoning power was brought, by Darwin's process of natural selection, to the perfection which it seems to possess.
Eugene WignerRead
The miracle of the appropriateness of the language of mathematics for the formulation of the laws of physics is a wonderful gift which we neither understand nor deserve.
Eugene WignerRead
The simplicities of natural laws arise through the complexities of the language we use for their expression.
Eugene WignerRead
The unreasonable efficiency of mathematics in science is a gift we neither understand nor deserve.
Eugene WignerRead
Similar quotes
I took biology in high school and didn't like it at all. It was focused on memorization. ... I didn't appreciate that biology also had principles and logic ... [rather than dealing with a] messy thing called life. It just wasn't organized, and I wanted to stick with the nice pristine sciences of chemistry and physics, where everything made sense. I wish I had learned sooner that biology could be fun as well.
Francis CollinsRead
At lunch Francis [Crick] winged into the Eagle to tell everyone within hearing distance that we had found the secret of life.
James D. WatsonRead
The intelligent beings in these regions should therefore not be surprised if they observe that their locality in the universe satisfies the conditions that are necessary for their existence. It is a bit like a rich person living in a wealthy neighborhood not seeing any poverty.
Stephen HawkingRead
If two scientists are giving their papers at a symposium, and one of them is just naturally better at talking to the public or talking to a group of people, that scientist is liable to get more attention - in fact, I'm told that they do get more attention - than the one who's a little more stiff about it. Well, that's not good for science.
Alan AldaRead
Even those who do not, or cannot, avail themselves of a scientific education, choose to benefit from the technology that is made possible by the scientific education of others.
Richard DawkinsRead
How lucky we are to live in this time / the first moment in human history / when we are in fact visiting other worlds
Carl SaganRead