Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

"The pursuit of knowledge is a natural human tendency."

"Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe."

"Truth is like a precious stone; it must be cut and polished before it becomes valuable."

"The intellectual satisfaction derived from the pursuit of science has never failed to reward me."

"A fundamental problem in science is the understanding of the elementary particles and their interactions."

"The great advantage of telling the truth is that one does not have to remember what one said."

"In science, the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occurs."

"The existence of a God is an assumption which has to be examined in relation to its consistency with observed phenomena."

"The most important thing in science is not the knowledge we have but the methods by which we come to knowledge."

"Peace comes from understanding, and understanding comes from communication."

"The structure of the physical world is made manifest through observation and experimentation."

"Innovation requires the willingness to challenge existing assumptions."

"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change."

"In the vast expanse of the cosmos, our human concerns seem infinitesimal, yet our capacity to understand it is profound."

"The mathematical physicist may pride himself on the accuracy of his assertions, but the experimental physicist will find him wanting when it comes to the interpretation of nature."

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

"The greatest discoveries come not from the pursuit of truth, but from the pursuit of understanding."

"Adversity reveals the character of a person more than success."

"The universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose."

"Time is the canvas upon which the events of the universe are painted."

"The most valuable asset in science is a questioning mind."

"Beauty in mathematics and beauty in the natural world are intimately connected."

"The path of least resistance in thought and conduct is what we naturally follow, unless compelled to do otherwise."

"In my opinion, the most vital quality for a scientist is intellectual honesty."

"The complexity of nature is not a sign of chaos but of profound order."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the determination to proceed in spite of it."

"The scientist who pursues truth must be willing to stand alone if necessary."

"All great achievements in science have been preceded by great dreams."

"The role of the physicist is to understand the fundamental principles governing the universe."

"Freedom of thought is the most precious of all human freedoms."