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Arthur Eddington Biography

Arthur Eddington

Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington OM FRS (28 December 1882 – 22 November 1944) was an English astronomer, physicist, and mathematician of the early 20th century who did his greatest work in astrophysics. He was also a philosopher of science and a populariser of science. The Eddington limit, the natural limit to the luminosity of stars, or the radiation generated by accretion onto a compact object, is named in his honour.

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Arthur Eddington Quotes

The electron, as it leaves the atom, crystallises out of Schrödinger's mist like a genie emerging from his bottle.

Atoms, Bottle, Bottles, Electron, Genie, Science

A star is drawing on some vast reservoir of energy by means unknown to us. This reservoir can scarcely be other than the subatomic energy which, it is known exists abundantly in all matter; we sometimes dream that man will one day learn how to release it and use it for his service. The store is well nigh inexhaustible, if only it could be tapped. There is sufficient in the Sun to maintain its output of heat for 15 billion years.

Dream, Maintain, Mean, Output, Stars, Vast

Every body continues in its state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, except insofar as it doesn't.

Body, Line, Lines, Rest, Straight, Uniforms

Falling in love is one of the activities forbidden that tiresome person, the consistently reasonable man.

Falling, Falling In Love, Love Is, Men, Reasonable, Tiresome

It is reasonable to hope that in the not too distant future we shall be competent to understand so simple a thing as a star.

Future, Reasonable, Simple, Stars, Thing

If someone points out to you that your pet theory of the universe is in disagreement with Maxwell's equations-then so much the worse for Maxwell's equations. If it is found to be contradicted by observation-well these experimentalists do bungle things sometimes. But if your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics I can give you no hope; there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation.

Equations, Errors, Experimentalists, Hope, Science, Theory

If an army of monkeys were strumming on typewriters, they might write all the books in the British Museum.

Army, Book, Museum, Strumming, Typewriters, Writing

The helium which we handle must have been put together at some time and some place. We do not argue with the critic who urges that the stars are not hot enough for this process; we tell him to go and find a hotter place.

Critic, Science, Stars, Together, Urges

We are bits of stellar matter that got cold by accident, bits of a star gone wrong.

Atheism, Bits, Gone, Stars, Wrong

Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but a dodge-and a very good dodge too.

Dodge, Good, Science, Theory, Wave

Probably the simplest hypothesis. . . is that there may be a slow process of annihilation of matter.

Genocide, Matter, May, Probably, Slow

Do not put too much confidence in experimental results until they have been confirmed by theory.

Confidence, Confirmed, Results, Theory, Too Much

Unless the structure of the nucleus has a surprise in store for us, the conclusion seems plain-there is nothing in the whole system if laws of physics that cannot be deduced unambiguously from epistemological considerations. An intelligence, unacquainted with our universe, but acquainted with the system of thought by which the human mind interprets to itself the contents of its sensory experience, and should be able to attain all the knowledge of physics that we have attained by experiment.

Acquainted, Interprets, Knowledge, Law, Science, Universe

What we makes of the world must be largely dependent on the sense-organs that we happen to possess. How the world must have changed since the man came to rely on his eyes rather than his nose.

Came, Changed, Eye, Men, Noses, Rely

Science is one thing, wisdom is another. Science is an edged tool, with which men play like children, and cut their own fingers. If you look at the results which science has brought in its train, you will find them to consist almost wholly in elements of mischief. See how much belongs to the word "Explosion" alone, of which the ancients knew nothing.

Belongs, Children, Mischief, Science, Wisdom

On one occasion when [William] Smart found him engrossed with his fundamental theory, he asked Eddington how many people he thought would understand what he was writing-after a pause came the reply, 'Perhaps seven. '

Engrossed, Science, Smart, Thought, Understand, Writing

If I let my fingers wander idly over the keys of a typewriter it might happen that my screed made an intelligible sentence. If an army of monkeys were strumming on typewriters they might write all the books in the British Museum. The chance of their doing so is decidedly more favourable than the chance of the molecules returning to one half of the vessel.

Army, Book, Books, British, Returning, Writing

Events do not happen; they are just there, and we come across them.

Across, Come, Events, Grace, Happens

Time is the supreme Law of nature.

Law, Nature, Supreme, Time Management

Oh leave the Wise our measures to collate. One thing at least is certain, light has weight. One thing is certain and the rest debate. Light rays, when near the Sun, do not go straight.

Collate, Light, Rays, Sun, Wise

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