--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a…" description: "\"Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but a dodge-and a very good dodge too.\" — Arthur Eddington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png" --- # Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but… ![“Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but a dodge-and a very good dodge too.” quote by Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png) > “Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but a dodge-and a very good dodge too.” [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Quantum wave mechanics is a mathematical tool, not a literal description of reality. **In simple terms:** Wave mechanics is a model, not reality. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of scientific models. Themes science philosophy epistemology physics Mood skeptical analytical Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - research - teaching - public communication - policy making Key Concepts quantum theory interpretation methodology Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean for a theory to be a "dodge"? - How do we test the reality behind models? A Different Perspective Models may mislead if taken as truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mechanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanic/) [Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schrodinger/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“Each electron wants the whole of three-dimensional space for its waves; so Schrodinger generously allows three dimensions for each of them. For two electrons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-stanley-eddington/each-electron-wants-the-whole-of-three-dimensional-space-for-its/) [Arthur Stanley Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-stanley-eddington/) > [“When { Born and Heisenberg and the Göttingen theoretical physicists} first discovered matrix mechanics they were having, of course, the same kind of trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-born-and-heisenberg-and-the-g-ttingen-theoretical-physicists/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“ He rejected traditional religious beliefs (Jewish, Christian, and Islamic) not on the basis of any reasoned argument, nor even with an expression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-moore/he-rejected-traditional-religious-beliefs-jewish-christian-and/) Walter J. Moore > [Erwin Schrodinger has explained how he and his fellow physicists had agreed that they would report their new discoveries and experiments in quantum physics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/erwin-schrodinger-has-explained-how-he-and-his-fellow-physicists-had-2/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Somewhere around the place I've got an unfinished short story about Schrodinger's Dog; it was mostly moaning about all the attention the cat was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/somewhere-around-the-place-i-ve-got-an-unfinished-short-story-about/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“the litter of Schrödinger's cat is all over our decision tasks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tali-sharot/the-litter-of-schr-dinger-s-cat-is-all-over-our-decision-tasks/) Tali Sharot > [Everyone's heard of Erwin Schrodinger's famous thought experiment. You put a cat in a box with a bottle of poison, which many people would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/everyone-s-heard-of-erwin-schrodinger-s-famous-thought-experiment-you/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [So what I'm saying is why don't we think about changing Schrodinger's equation at some level when masses become too big at the level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-penrose/so-what-i-m-saying-is-why-don-t-we-think-about-changing-schrodinger-s/) [Roger Penrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-penrose/) > [You might argue that my example is bad because Einstein is dead. But according to physicist Erwin Schrodinger, Einstein is neither dead nor alive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/you-might-argue-that-my-example-is-bad-because-einstein-is-dead-but/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“ He claimed to be an atheist, but he always used religious symbolism...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-moore/he-claimed-to-be-an-atheist-but-he-always-used-religious-symbolism/) Walter J. Moore > [Erwin Schrodinger has explained how he and his fellow physicists had agreed that they would report their new discoveries and experiments in quantum physics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/erwin-schrodinger-has-explained-how-he-and-his-fellow-physicists-had/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [“Too many production systems are like Schrodinger’s cat—locked inside a box, with no way to observe its actual state.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-nygard/too-many-production-systems-are-like-schrodinger-s-cat-locked-inside/) [Michael T. Nygard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-nygard/) > [“Curiously, Schrodinger's equation describes the change in the probability that we will obtain a particular result if we conduct an experiment. It is telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/curiously-schrodinger-s-equation-describes-the-change-in-the/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [“Her feelings for Jeremy were like Schrodinger’s Crush. As long as she didn’t open the box, their relationship existed in a state of quantum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-nix/her-feelings-for-jeremy-were-like-schrodinger-s-crush-as-long-as-she/) [Susannah Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-nix/) > [“In the intricate and mutable space-time geometry at the black hole, in-falling matter and energy interacted with the virtualities of the vacuum in ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poul-anderson/in-the-intricate-and-mutable-space-time-geometry-at-the-black-hole-in/) [Poul Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poul-anderson/) ## More by Arthur Eddington > [Observation and theory get on best when they are mixed together, both helping one another in the pursuit of truth. It is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/observation-and-theory-get-on-best-when-they-are-mixed-together-both/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/proof-is-an-idol-before-which-the-mathematician-tortures-himself/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [It is one thing for the human mind to extract from the phenomena of nature the laws which it has itself put into them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/it-is-one-thing-for-the-human-mind-to-extract-from-the-phenomena-of/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [Don't believe the results of experiments until they're confirmed by theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/don-t-believe-the-results-of-experiments-until-they-re-confirmed-by/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [Probably the simplest hypothesis... is that there may be a slow process of annihilation of matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/probably-the-simplest-hypothesis-is-that-there-may-be-a-slow-process/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [There was a time when we wanted to be told what an electron is. The question was never answered. No familiar conceptions can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/there-was-a-time-when-we-wanted-to-be-told-what-an-electron-is-the/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [To the pure geometer the radius of curvature is an incidental characteristic - like the grin of the Cheshire cat. To the physicist it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/to-the-pure-geometer-the-radius-of-curvature-is-an-incidental/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [Shuffling is the only thing which Nature cannot undo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/shuffling-is-the-only-thing-which-nature-cannot-undo/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [The universe will finally become a ball of radiation, becoming more and more rarified and passing into longer and longer wave-lengths. The longest waves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/the-universe-will-finally-become-a-ball-of-radiation-becoming-more/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [Science is one thing, wisdom is another. Science is an edged tool, with which men play like children, and cut their own fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/science-is-one-thing-wisdom-is-another-science-is-an-edged-tool-with/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [We often think that when we have completed our study of one we know all about two, because 'two' is 'one and one.' We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/we-often-think-that-when-we-have-completed-our-study-of-one-we-know/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [If your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics I give you no hope; there is nothing for it but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/if-your-theory-is-found-to-be-against-the-second-law-of/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [Human life is proverbially uncertain; few things are more certain than the solvency of a life-insurance company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/human-life-is-proverbially-uncertain-few-things-are-more-certain-than/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [ \[When thinking about the new relativity and quantum theories\] I have felt a homesickness for the paths of physical science where there are ore… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/when-thinking-about-the-new-relativity-and-quantum-theories-i-have/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [There is no space without aether, and no aether which does not occupy space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/there-is-no-space-without-aether-and-no-aether-which-does-not-occupy/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) [Explore all 81 Arthur Eddington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) ## More Dodge quotes > [You can't dodge them all. I got hammered plenty of times through the years. But you just get up and keep playing. I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bradshaw/you-can-t-dodge-them-all-i-got-hammered-plenty-of-times-through-the/) [Terry Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bradshaw/) > [After a long silence, Dodge cleared his throat. "I think I speak for all of us when I say, 'Huh?'" -Dodge(obviously)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/after-a-long-silence-dodge-cleared-his-throat-i-think-i-speak-for-all/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) > [Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed forever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/thoughtcrime-was-not-a-thing-that-could-be-concealed-forever-you/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [During the season, I dodge the media. After practice, I need to be taking care of my body and recovering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/during-the-season-i-dodge-the-media-after-practice-i-need-to-be/) [Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/) > [I've managed to dodge the curse. Not all my family have. Of course, music helped me - music is all about civilization, about something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-getty/i-ve-managed-to-dodge-the-curse-not-all-my-family-have-of-course/) [Gordon Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-getty/) > [It is the little bits of things that fret and worry us; we can dodge a elephant, but we can't dodge a fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/it-is-the-little-bits-of-things-that-fret-and-worry-us-we-can-dodge-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [All problems become smaller if you don't dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-halsey/all-problems-become-smaller-if-you-don-t-dodge-them-but-confront-them/) [William Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-halsey/) > [A gun I had been brought down by a gun. It was practically comical. Cheaters, I thought. I’d spent my life focusing on hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/a-gun-i-had-been-brought-down-by-a-gun-it-was-practically-comical/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [A Glass Eye leaped out from behind a parcked smail-trasport, blocked thier way. "Did you drop something?" Dodge asked the assassian. "Caus I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-beddor/a-glass-eye-leaped-out-from-behind-a-parcked-smail-trasport-blocked/) [Frank Beddor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-beddor/) > [ Speaking of \[Colin\] Kaepernick, did you see what \[Barack\] Obama said about Kaepernick? I mean this was the biggest dodge I have ever seen.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/speaking-of-colin-kaepernick-did-you-see-what-barack-obama-said-about/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [My head aches every time Donald Trump successfully dodges a question with this reoccurring tactic. What's his worst offense? I don't know. How long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-teigen/my-head-aches-every-time-donald-trump-successfully-dodges-a-question/) [Chrissy Teigen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-teigen/) > [In my own field, x-ray crystallography, we used to work out the structure of minerals by various dodges which we never bothered to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-own-field-x-ray-crystallography-we-used-to-work-out-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We cannot rely on mass inspection to improve quality, though there are times when 100 percent inspection is necessary. As Harold S. Dodge said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/we-cannot-rely-on-mass-inspection-to-improve-quality-though-there-are/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Don't dodge difficulties; meet them, greet them, beat them. All great men have been through the wringer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-armand-montapert/don-t-dodge-difficulties-meet-them-greet-them-beat-them-all-great-men/) [Alfred Armand Montapert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-armand-montapert/) > [I am just a middle-class farm boy from Dodge City and my grandparents were wheat farmers. I thought painting, acting, directing and photography were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hopper/i-am-just-a-middle-class-farm-boy-from-dodge-city-and-my-grandparents/) [Dennis Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hopper/) Browse all 136 Dodge quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but a dodge-and a very good dodge too.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Eddington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-physical-theory-but-a-dodge-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dodge" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-physical-theory-but-a-dodge-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f1/arthur-eddington-8366_dodge_schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-ph_3059832.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical theory but a dodge-and a very good dodge too.” — Arthur Eddington", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Eddington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Schrodinger's wave-mechanics is not a physical...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-physical-theory-but-a-dodge-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/schrodinger-s-wave-mechanics-is-not-a-physical-theory-but-a-dodge-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```