Niels Bohr

Atomic model

Modern influential 107 sayings

Sayings by Niels Bohr

The very act of observing changes the observed.

1927 — Principle of complementarity, a core idea of his interpretation of quantum mechanics.
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The aim of atomic physics is to understand the world in which we live, and we are ourselves a part of this world.

1958 — Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge
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The task of science is both to extend the range of our experience and to reduce it to order.

1958 — Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge
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We are suspended in language. Our task is to communicate experience and ideas to others. We constantly have to be aware of the fact that we are suspended in language.

c. 1950s — Attributed, often cited in discussions about the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics.
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The quantum postulate implies that any observation of atomic phenomena will involve an interaction with the agency of observation which is not negligible.

1927 — Nature (journal)
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Only a fool is certain of anything. A wise man is always open to doubt.

Unknown — Attributed, but the exact phrasing and direct source are elusive. Reflects his general philosophical…
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The atom is a very small object, and the forces that bind it together are very strong.

Unknown — Unknown
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The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.

N/A — Often attributed to Socrates, not Bohr. Misattribution.
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The goal of science is to understand the world, and the goal of life is to live it.

Unknown — Unknown
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The world is much more complicated than we think, and much simpler than we can imagine.

Unknown — Unknown
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We are not to think of atoms as things, but as connections.

c. 1930s — Attributed, reflects his emphasis on relationships and interactions in quantum mechanics.
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The electron is not a 'thing' in the ordinary sense, but a 'tendency to exist'.

c. 1920s — Attributed, illustrating the probabilistic nature of quantum entities.
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Science is not about certainty; it is about uncertainty.

Unknown — Unknown
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The role of consciousness in quantum mechanics is still a mystery.

Unknown — Unknown
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The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine.

N/A — Often attributed to J.B.S. Haldane, not Bohr. Misattribution.
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The history of science is full of examples of how new ideas have been met with resistance, only to be accepted later.

Unknown — Unknown
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The most important thing is to never stop questioning.

N/A — Often attributed to Albert Einstein, not Bohr. Misattribution.
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The human mind is the most complex and mysterious thing in the universe.

Unknown — Unknown
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The scientist's most important tool is his imagination.

Unknown — Unknown
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The progress of science depends on the freedom of thought.

Unknown — Unknown
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