Pierre-Simon Laplace

"Nature abhors not complexity, but rather the mind abhors it."

"To master the future, one must first understand the mechanism of cause and effect."

"The universe reveals itself only to those who ask the right questions."

"Prejudice is the enemy of truth; doubt is the friend of wisdom."

"All events, no matter how small, contribute to the shape of reality."

"The greatest scientist is he who understands the limits of his knowledge."

"Determinism and human agency appear contradictory, yet both seem true."

"Observation without theory is blind; theory without observation is empty."

"The mind that can hold two opposing ideas simultaneously is the mark of genius."

"Nature provides the problems; mathematics provides the solutions."

"We see only what we are prepared to see; blindness is often willful."

"The laws governing celestial bodies are the same as those governing earthly ones."

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, not extraordinary belief."

"The universe is written in mathematical symbols; we are merely learning the alphabet."

"Freedom exists within the constraints of natural law, not beyond them."

"A theory that explains everything explains nothing."

"The pursuit of perfect knowledge is the pursuit of an asymptote, endlessly approached but never reached."

"What seems impossible today becomes obvious tomorrow through understanding."