If we look at the way the universe behaves, quantum mechanics gives us fundamental, unavoidable indeterminacy, so that alternative histories of the universe can be assigned probability.
Murray Gell-MannRead
Sometimes the probabilities are very close to certainties, but they're never really certainties
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that while some outcomes may seem almost guaranteed, there is always an element of uncertainty involved.
Murray Gell-Mann's quote reminds us that in the realm of probabilities, there are instances where certain outcomes appear almost inevitable; however, it is crucial to acknowledge that absolute certainties do not exist in reality. This highlights the importance of understanding that even in situations where we feel confident, the unpredictable nature of life and science means we must remain open to the possibility of unexpected results.
Themes
ProbabilityCertaintyUncertaintyScienceOutcomes
In practice
Example use cases
In a scientific conference discussing theories and predictions.
More from Murray Gell-Mann
All quotes βJust because things get a little dingy at the subatomic level doesn't mean all bets are off.
Murray Gell-MannRead
If someone says that he can think or talk about quantum physics without becoming dizzy, that shows only that he has not understood anything whatever about it.
Murray Gell-MannRead
What is especially striking and remarkable is that in fundamental physics a beautiful or elegant theory is more likely to be right than a theory that is inelegant.
Murray Gell-MannRead
Similar quotes
Theory-free science makes about as much sense as value-free politics.
Stephen Jay GouldRead
But our ways of learning about the world are strongly influenced by the social preconceptions and biased modes of thinking that each scientist must apply to any problem. The stereotype of a fully rational and objective scientific method, with individual scientists as logical (and interchangeable) robots, is self-serving mythology.
Stephen Jay GouldRead
During my time in orbit, I lost bone mass, my muscles atrophied, and my blood redistributed itself in my body, which strained my heart. Every day, I was exposed to ten times the radiation of a person on Earth, which will increase my risk of a fatal cancer for the rest of my life.
Scott KellyRead
Development of Western science is based on two great achievements: the invention of the formal logical system (in Euclidean geometry) by the Greek philosophers, and the discovery of the possibility to find out causal relationships by systematic experiment (during the Renaissance). In my opinion, one has not to be astonished that the Chinese sages have not made these steps. The astonishing thing is that these discoveries were made at all.
Albert EinsteinRead
Einstein, stop telling God what to do!
Niels BohrRead
A review of seventy-four clinical trials of antidepressants, for example, found that thirty-seven of thirty-eight positive studies [that praised the drugs] were published. But of the thirty-six negative studies, thirty-three were either not published or published in a form that conveyed a positive outcome.
Marcia AngellRead