35 Best Richard P Feynman Quotes From The American Physicist

Srija Chanda
Dec 12, 2023 By Srija Chanda
Originally Published on Feb 23, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Physicist Richard Feynman on american postage stamp
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Richard P Feynman was an American theoretical physicist who was famous for his work on the theories of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics.

Feynman is considered to be one of the most influential, brilliant, and iconic personalities the post World War 2 era. He stated his IQ score was said to be around 125 according to a school IQ test that he took.

He was renowned to be a promoter of physics through both books and lectures. Feynman's work on quantum electrodynamics describes how light interacts with matter and charged particles interact with each other.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution to the study of quantum electrodynamics in 1965. A British journal, 'Physics World' ranked him as one of the ten greatest physicists on a poll of 130 leading physicists in the world.

For more related content do take a look at physics quotes and universe quotes.
 

Richard Feynman Science Quotes

Some of the best scientist quotes and quantum mechanics quotes by Richard P. Feynman.

1. “To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven. The same key opens the gates of hell. And so it is with science.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

2. “It is the facts that matter, not the proofs. Physics can progress without the proofs, but we can’t go on without the facts.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

3. “It doesn’t matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn’t matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it’s wrong.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

4. A great deal more is known than has been proved.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

5. “There is nothing that living things do that cannot be understood from the point of view that they are made of atoms acting according to the laws of physics.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

6. “If science is to progress, what we need is the ability to experiment.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

7. “Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars—mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is 'mere.' I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

8. “There were several possible solutions of the difficulty of classical electrodynamics, any one of which might serve as a good starting point to the solution of the difficulties of quantum electrodynamics.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

9. “You’re unlikely to discover something new without a lot of practice on old stuff, but further, you should get a heck of a lot of fun out of working out funny relations and interesting things.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

10. “Scientific knowledge is an enabling power to do either good or bad — but it does not carry instructions on how to use it.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

11. “Is science of any value? I think a power to do something is of value.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

12. “If there is something very slightly wrong in our definition of the theories, then the full mathematical rigor may convert these errors into ridiculous conclusions.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

13. “It is important to doubt and that the doubt is not a fearful thing, but a thing of great value.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

Famous Richard Feynman Quotes

Old globe on bookshelf background.

Some of the best well-known quotes by the famous theoretical physicist.

14. “It has not yet become obvious to me that there’s no real problem. I cannot define the real problem; therefore, I suspect there’s no real problem, but I’m not sure there’s no real problem.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

15. “Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so that each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

16. “God was invented to explain mystery.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

17.  “I’m just looking to find out more about the world and if it turns out there is a simple ultimate law which explains everything, so be it; that would be very nice to discover.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

18. “I, a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

19. “A poet once said, ‘The whole universe is in a glass of wine.’ We will probably never know in what sense he meant it, for poets do not write to be understood.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

20. “I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

21. “No problem is too small or too trivial if we can really do something about it.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

22. “Einstein was a giant. His head was in the clouds, but his feet were on the ground.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

23. “The most remarkable discovery in all of astronomy is that the stars are made of atoms of the same kind as those on the earth.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

24. “I don’t believe in honors – it bothers me. Honors bother: honors are epaulets; honors are uniforms.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

Quotes From Richard Feynman About Technology

Quotes about the progress of technology and science.

25. “For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

26. “The internal machinery of life, the chemistry of the parts, is something beautiful. And it turns out that all life is interconnected with all other life.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

27. “It is really quite impossible to say anything with absolute precision, unless that thing is so abstracted from the real world as to not represent any real thing.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

28. “Perhaps one day we will have machines that can cope with approximate task descriptions, but in the meantime, we have to be very prissy about how we tell computers to do things.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

29. “We absolutely must leave room for doubt or there is no progress and no learning.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

Quotes By Richard Feynman On Life

Great quotes about life and its meaning by Richard Feynman.

30. “I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

31. “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

32. “I have approximate answers, and possible beliefs, and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I’m not absolutely sure of anything.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

33. “Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

34. “People often think I’m a faker, but I’m usually honest, in a certain way - in such a way that often nobody believes me!”

— Richard P. Feynman.

35. “I don’t have to know an answer. I don’t feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose - which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell.”

— Richard P. Feynman.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Richard Feynman quotes then why not take a look at funny science quotes or weird science quotes?

 

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Written by Srija Chanda

Master of Arts specializing in Mass Communication/Media Studies

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Srija ChandaMaster of Arts specializing in Mass Communication/Media Studies

An aspiring media professional, Srija is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Mass Communication at St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, after completing her degree in journalism. With experience in PR and social media, she has also honed her leadership skills through her participation in a youth parliament. Srija's interests include devouring books, watching movies, and exploring new places through travel.

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