Active Quote by Erwin Schrodinger
“Bohr’s standpoint, that a space-time description is impossible, I reject a limine. Physics does not consist only of atomic research, science does not consist only of physics, and life does not consist only of science. The aim of atomic research is to fit our empirical knowledge concerning it into our other thinking. All of this other thinking, so far as it concerns the outer world, is active in space and time. If it cannot be fitted into space and time, then it fails in its whole aim and one does not know what purpose it really serves.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture on Philosophy of Science, 1935
Science must integrate with broader thinking beyond atomic models; if it cannot fit into space‑time, its purpose is unclear.
In simple terms: Science needs a wider context, not just atoms.
Key Takeaway
Ensure theories align with observable reality.
Themes
philosophy
science
integration
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
reflective
inspirational
When to use this quote
- research planning
- interdisciplinary projects
- education curriculum design
Key Concepts
ontology
epistemology
methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can abstract theories be tested in real space‑time?
- What limits arise when science ignores broader context?
A Different Perspective
May overlook practical constraints of non‑spatial theories.
![“When asked ... [about] an underlying quantum world, Bohr would answer, 'There is no quantum world. There is only an abstract quantum physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about Nature.'” quote by Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f3d/niels-bohr-4542_abstract_when-asked-about-an-underlying-quantum-w_1467547.jpg)
![“Nobody knows how the stand of our knowledge about the atom would be without him. Personally, [Niels] Bohr is one of the amiable colleagues I have met. He utters his opinions like one perpetually groping and never like one who believes himself to be in possession of the truth.” quote by Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/996/albert-einstein-33_amiable_nobody-knows-how-the-stand-of-our-knowle_2279599.jpg)
![“[About the great synthesis of atomic physics in the 1920s:] It was a heroic time. It was not the doing of any one man; it involved the collaboration of scores of scientists from many different lands. But from the first to last the deeply creative, subtle and critical spirit of Niels Bohr guided…” quote by J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/34e/j-robert-oppenheimer-6978_collaboration_about-the-great-synthesis-of-atomic-phys_427709.jpg)
![“I am no friend of probability theory, I have hated it from the first moment when our dear friend Max Born gave it birth. For it could be seen how easy and simple it made everything, in principle, everything ironed and the true problems concealed. Everybody must jump on the bandwagon [Ausweg]. And…” quote by Erwin Schrödinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/734/erwin-schrodinger-8450_born_i-am-no-friend-of-probability-theory-i-h_434486.jpg)
