Wolfgang Pauli Quotes about Science

That's not right. That's not even wrong.

That's not right. That's not even wrong.

Science

What really matters for me is ... the more active role of the observer in quantum physics ... According to quantum physics the observer has indeed a new relation to the physical events around him in comparison with the classical observer, who is merely a spectator.

Wolfgang Pauli

Science, Events, Roles

Wolfgang Pauli (2008). “Wissenschaftlicher Briefwechsel mit Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg u.a. Band IV, Teil III: 1955–1956. Scientific Correspondence with Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg, a.o. Volume IV, Part III: 1955–1956”, p.148, Springer-Verlag

The fact that the author thinks slowly is not serious, but the fact that he publishes faster than he thinks is inexcusable.

Wolfgang Pauli

Science, Thinking, Facts

To us ... the only acceptable point of view appears to be the one that recognizes both sides of reality-the quantitative and the qualitative, the physical and the psychical-as compatible with each other, and can embrace them simultaneously ... It would be most satisfactory of all if physis and psyche (i.e., matter and mind) could be seen as complementary aspects of the same reality.

Wolfgang Pauli

Science, Reality, Views

Physics is very muddled again at the moment; it is much too hard for me anyway, and I wish I were a movie comedian or something like that and had never heard anything about physics!

Wolfgang Pauli

Science, Comedian, Wish

For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure nonsense.

Wolfgang Pauli

Mean, Science, Nonsense

The natural scientist is concerned with a particular kind of phenomena ... he has to confine himself to that which is reproducible ... I do not claim that the reproducible by itself is more important than the unique. But I do claim that the unique exceeds the treatment by scientific method. Indeed it is the aim of this method to find and test natural laws.

Wolfgang Pauli

Science, Unique, Law

That theory is worthless. It isn't even wrong!

Wolfgang Pauli

Science, Theory, Worthless

There can never be two or more equivalent electrons in an atom, for which in a strong field the values of all the quantum numbers n, k1, k2 and m are the same. If an electron is present, for which these quantum numbers (in an external field) have definite values, then this state is 'occupied.'

Wolfgang Pauli

Strong, Science, Two