Memorable Quotes

Physicists have "lost their grip on reality". but this is "one of the best kept secrets of science".

Referring to Baconian science in the light of quantum physics: "a kind of mystic chant over an unintelligible universe." 

About the realism of Rene Descartes ushering in bifurcation: "Thus there would be two natures, one is the conjecture and the other is the dream". 

That bifurcation constitutes the decisive philosophical postulate which underlies and determines the customary interpretation of physics: "The result is a complete muddle in scientific thought, in philosophic cosmology, and in epistemology. But any doctrine which does not implicitly presuppose this point is assailed as unintelligible". 

"I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.” 

"I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics" 

"Usually in science if we are off by a factor of two or a by a factor of 10; we say that’s horrible. There must be something wrong with the theory; we’re out by a factor of 10. However, in cosmology we’re off by a factor of 10 to (the power) 120. That is one with 120 zeros after it. This is the largest mismatch between theory and experiment in the history of science." 

"Usually in science if we are off by a factor of two or a by a factor of 10; we say that’s horrible. There must be something wrong with the theory; we’re out by a factor of 10. However, in cosmology we’re off by a factor of 10 to (the power) 120. That is one with 120 zeros after it. This is the largest mismatch between theory and experiment in the history of science." 

 “M. Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its creator.” Laplace replied: ‘Je n’avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-là.’ (I had no need of that hypothesis.)  

From The Observational Approach to Cosmology:

“[Redshifts] would imply that we occupy a unique position in the universe, analogous, in a sense, to the ancient conception of a central Earth… This hypothesis cannot be disproved.”  

About General Relativity:  “The struggle, so violent in the early days of science, between the views of Ptolemy and Copernicus would then be quite meaningless. Either CS [coordinate system] could be used with equal justification. The two sentences, ‘the Sun is at rest and the Earth moves,’ or ‘the Sun moves and the Earth is at rest,’ would simply mean two different conventions concerning two different CS.”