Bohr, Niels

"The best of democracy is that it has set up so far."

"Truth itself, if not presented in a timely fashion, becomes a lie."

"The study of physics is no longer the foundation upon which all science is built."

"The present generation does not know what past generations have suffered."

"In physics, you don't have to go around making trouble for yourself—nature does it for you."

"The task is not to prevent change but to channel it wisely."

"I hope I haven't so much to say that I confuse myself."

"It is the privilege of theoretical physics to deal only with electrons and nuclei."

"The most important discovery will be something that no one could have predicted."

"Energy is equal to mass times the speed of light squared."

"One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to prevent oneself from being cast into prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny."

"The beauty of a flower is not in its petals, but in what it teaches us about mathematics."

"A science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones."

"To err is human; to forgive, divine."

"The goal of physics is not to understand nature, but to understand our understanding of nature."

"Mistakes and learning go together."

"The bond between atoms is not unlike the bond between people."

"Imagine explaining the internet to someone from the past."

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

"Whoever contemplates the beauty of the earth finds reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."

"The development of technology has not diminished the importance of the human spirit."

"We are all connected, like nodes in a cosmic web."

"The universe is not made of matter, but of mathematics."

"Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks."

"The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake is the highest calling."

"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once."

"The more success the quantum theory has, the sillier it looks."

"Sacrifice is the path to transcendence."

"The mind that is flexible will triumph."

"Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination."