The paradox of knowledge is not confined to the small, atomic scale; on the contrary, it is as cogent on the scale of man, and even of the stars.

The great poem and the deep theorem are new to every reader, and yet are his own experiences, because he himself recreates them.

Man masters nature not by force but by understanding.

It is very much easier to divide your outlook on the world into two halves, to say that you know this belongs to the daily half and this belongs to the Sunday half.

The central opposition between magic and science is the opposition between power and knowledge.

The most powerful drive in the ascent of man is his pleasure in his own skill. He loves to do what he does well and, having done it well, he loves to do it better.

Revolutions are not made by fate but by men.

Satire is not a social dynamite. But it is a social indicator: it shows that new men are knocking at the door.

Every judgment in science stands on the edge of error, and is personal.

One aim of the physical sciences has been to give an exact picture of the material world. One achievement of physics in the twentieth century has been to prove that that aim is unattainable.