5 William Thomson Quotes on Science

William Thomson quotes on science

1. I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be.

2. There cannot be a greater mistake than that of looking superciliously upon the practical applications of science. The life and soul of science is its practical application; and just as the great advances in mathematics have been made through the desire of discovering the solution of problems which were of a highly practical kind in mathematical science, so in physical science many of the greatest advances that have been made from the beginning of the world to the present time have been made in earnest desire to turn the knowledge of the properties of matter to some purpose useful to mankind.

4. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.

   Attribution disputed; shown as originally published.

6. There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement.

8. Tesla has contributed more to electrical science than any man up to his time.