Richard Feynman

Physics is to math what sex is to masturbation.

Nature has a great simplicity and therefore a great beauty.

We are at the very beginning of time for the human race. It is not unreasonable that we grapple with problems. But there are tens of thousands of years in the future. Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on.

Philosophers say a great deal about what is absolutely necessary for science, and it is always, so far as one can see, rather naive, and probably wrong.

Physicists like to think that all you have to do is say, these are the conditions, now what happens next?

The real question of government versus private enterprise is argued on too philosophical and abstract a basis. Theoretically, planning may be good. But nobody has ever figured out the cause of government stupidity and until they do (and find the cure) all ideal plans will fall into quicksand.

But I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe within any purpose, which is the way it really is, so far as I can tell. It doesn't frighten me.

When I found out that Santa Claus wasn't real, I wasn't upset; rather, I was relieved that there was a much simpler phenomenon to explain how so many children all over the world got presents on the same night! The story had been getting pretty complicated -- it was getting out of hand.

Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there.

There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows about. It's a very serious disease and it interferes completely with the work. The trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them.

To those who do not know mathematics it is difficult to get across a real feeling as to the beauty, the deepest beauty, of nature. If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in.

I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy.

Einstein was a giant. His head was in the clouds, but his feet were on the ground. Those of us who are not so tall have to choose.

But the real glory of science is that we can find a way of thinking such that the law is evident.

Astronomy is older than physics. In fact, it got physics started by showing the beautiful simplicity of the motion of the stars and planets, the understanding of which was the beginning of physics. But the most remarkable discovery in all of astronomy is that the stars are made of atoms of the same kind as those on the earth.

Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.

As usual, nature's imagination far surpasses our own, as we have seen from the other theories which are subtle and deep.

I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.

Philosophy of science is about as useful to scientists as ornithology is to birds.

All the time you're saying to yourself, 'I could do that, but I won't,' — which is just another way of saying that you can't.

There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.

If you thought that science was certain - well, that is just an error on your part.

I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong.

Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.

Physics isn't the most important thing. Love is.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.

The highest forms of understanding we can achieve are laughter and human compassion.

I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.

I... a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.

You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing.

Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.

Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.

Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.

I'd hate to die twice. It's so boring.

It is my task to convince you not to turn away because you don't understand it. You see my physics students don't understand it... That is because I don't understand it. Nobody does.