I cannot then believe in this concept of an anthropomorphic God who has the powers of interfering with these natural laws. As I said before, the most beautiful and most profound religious emotion that we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. And this mysticality is the power of all true science.
The scientist finds his reward in what Henri Poincare calls the joy of comprehension, and not in the possibility of application to which any discovery may lead.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Einstein emphasizes the intrinsic joy that scientists experience while understanding the world, rather than focusing solely on practical applications of their discoveries.
In this quote, Albert Einstein highlights the idea that the true satisfaction of a scientist comes from the joy and excitement of understanding the complexities of the universe. He references Henri Poincare's notion that the pleasure derived from the process of comprehension itself is more rewarding than the potential utilities that may arise from scientific discoveries. This perspective encourages a deeper appreciation for the pursuit of knowledge and the intellectual challenges that drive scientific inquiry.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of research and development, one could quote Einstein to emphasize the value of curiosity in science.
More from Albert Einstein
All quotes βIf I would follow your advice and Jesus could perceive it, he, as a Jewish teacher, surely would not approve of such behavior.
I want to know all Gods thoughts; all the rest are just details.
In the middle of adversity there is great opportunity.
I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.
To me the worst thing seems to be a school principally to work with methods of fear, force and artificial authority. Such treatment destroys the sound sentiments, the sincerity and the self-confidence of pupils and produces a subservient subject.
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No machines will ever truly fully figure the brain out, because the brain's performance is constantly altered or else constrained by this inanimate, rogue artifact you can't control, namely, speech.
Perhaps arising from a fascination with animals, biology seemed the most interesting of sciences to me as a child.
As a physicist, I've always found cosmology to be a rational elixir; it distances me from ordinary concerns.
Even though NASA tries to simulate launch, and we practice in simulators, it's not the same - it's not even close to the same.