--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If and when all the laws governing…" description: "\"“If and when all the laws governing physical phenomena are finally discovered, and all the empirical constants occurring in these laws are finally expr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f8/george-gamow-33190_christopher-columbus_if-and-when-all-the-laws-governing-physi_2588177.jpg" --- # If and when all the laws governing physical phenomena are… ![“If and when all the laws governing physical phenomena are finally discovered, and all the empirical constants occurring in these laws are finally expressed through the four independent basic constants, we will be able to say that physical science has reached its end, that no excitement is left in…” quote by George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f8/george-gamow-33190_christopher-columbus_if-and-when-all-the-laws-governing-physi_2588177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f8/george-gamow-33190_christopher-columbus_if-and-when-all-the-laws-governing-physi_2588177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f8/george-gamow-33190_christopher-columbus_if-and-when-all-the-laws-governing-physi_2588177.jpg) > ““If and when all the laws governing physical phenomena are finally discovered, and all the empirical constants occurring in these laws are finally expressed through the four independent basic constants, we will be able to say that physical science has reached its end, that no excitement is left in further explorations, and that all that remains to a physicist is either tedious work on minor details or the self-educational study and adoration of the magnificence of the completed system. At that stage physical science will enter from the epoch of Columbus and Magellan into the epoch of the National Geographic Magazine!”” [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If physics ever becomes complete, future work will be about appreciating its beauty rather than discovering new laws. **In simple terms:** Science may become a study of its own elegance. Key Takeaway Value the wonder of existing knowledge. Themes science philosophy humility Mood wonder contemplative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - public outreach - philosophical contemplation Key Concepts metaphysics history of science Questions to Reflect On - Will a finished science still inspire new ideas? - How can we keep curiosity alive? A Different Perspective Completion may stifle innovation and curiosity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Constants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constants/) [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Magellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magellan/) [Magnificence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnificence/) [Physical science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-science/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Every kind of science, if it has only reached a certain degree of maturity, automatically becomes a part of mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hilbert/every-kind-of-science-if-it-has-only-reached-a-certain-degree-of/) [David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hilbert/) > [“At ten o'clock we arrived in Aspinwall, or, as it is always called there, Colon, this being the real name of the place, given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-josephine-sanborn/at-ten-o-clock-we-arrived-in-aspinwall-or-as-it-is-always-called/) [Helen Josephine Sanborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-josephine-sanborn/) > [“Christopher Columbus and his brothers were no different from many of the Spanish adventurers of the time. 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For I have seen the shadow of the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-magellan/the-church-says-that-the-earth-is-flat-but-i-know-that-it-is-round/) Ferdinand Magellan > [“Fernão de Magalhães, or Ferdinand Magellan. According to most accounts, he was born in 1480, in the remote mountain parish of Sabrosa, the seat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-bergreen/fern-o-de-magalh-es-or-ferdinand-magellan-according-to-most-accounts/) [Laurence Bergreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-bergreen/) > [Like Magellan, let us find our islands To die in, far from home, from anywhere Familiar. Let us risk the wildest places, Lest we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/like-magellan-let-us-find-our-islands-to-die-in-far-from-home-from/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [I feel a lot like Magellan. You know - the great explorer during the Age of Exploration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-cawthorn/i-feel-a-lot-like-magellan-you-know-the-great-explorer-during-the-age/) [Madison Cawthorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-cawthorn/) > [“I had finally become aware of how much I was capable of, how little I had to lose, and how deep into Douglas's soft…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celma-ribeiro/i-had-finally-become-aware-of-how-much-i-was-capable-of-how-little-i/) Celma Ribeiro > [“The thing about Magellan is the thing about all these explorers. Most of the time, they’re just determined to chase impossible things. And most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-matson/the-thing-about-magellan-is-the-thing-about-all-these-explorers-most/) [Morgan Matson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-matson/) > [“The real significance of Magellan's voyage was not that it was the first to circumnavigate the planet, but that it was the first to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-real-significance-of-magellan-s-voyage-was-not-that-it-was-the/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Magellan's thirst for glory, under cover of religious zeal, led him fatally astray.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-bergreen/magellan-s-thirst-for-glory-under-cover-of-religious-zeal-led-him/) [Laurence Bergreen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-bergreen/) ## More by George Gamow > [“Since the atoms are indestructible, the disintegration of human body after death should be actually considered as the dispersion of the separate filaments (except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/since-the-atoms-are-indestructible-the-disintegration-of-human-body/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [All kinds of physical considerations become senseless when we try to apply them to distances smaller than 10 -13 centimeter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/all-kinds-of-physical-considerations-become-senseless-when-we-try-to/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [So I am just sitting and waiting, listening, and if something exciting comes, I just jump in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/so-i-am-just-sitting-and-waiting-listening-and-if-something-exciting/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [Much later, when I was discussing cosmological problems with Einstein, he remarked that the introduction of the cosmological term was the biggest blunder he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/much-later-when-i-was-discussing-cosmological-problems-with-einstein/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [My father was a teacher of the Russian language and literature in high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/my-father-was-a-teacher-of-the-russian-language-and-literature-in/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [If the expansion of the space of the universe is uniform in all directions, an observer located in anyone of the galaxies will see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/if-the-expansion-of-the-space-of-the-universe-is-uniform-in-all/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [When, in school, they were teaching algebra, I was studying differential equations at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/when-in-school-they-were-teaching-algebra-i-was-studying-differential/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/it-took-less-than-an-hour-to-make-the-atoms-a-few-hundred-million/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [I learned Einstein's theory of relativity when I was still in school. I simply got interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/i-learned-einstein-s-theory-of-relativity-when-i-was-still-in-school/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star Biggest puzzle from afar How unlike the other ones Brighter than a billion suns Twinkle, twinkle, quasi-star How I wonder what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/twinkle-twinkle-quasi-star-biggest-puzzle-from-afar-how-unlike-the/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [Much later, when I discussed the problem with Einstein, he remarked that the introduction of the cosmological term was the biggest blunder he ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/much-later-when-i-discussed-the-problem-with-einstein-he-remarked/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [Whereas all humans have approximately the same life expectancy the life expectancy of stars varies as much as from that of a butterfly to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/whereas-all-humans-have-approximately-the-same-life-expectancy-the/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [There was a young fellow from Trinity, Who took the square root of infinity. But the number of digits, Gave him the fidgets; He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/there-was-a-young-fellow-from-trinity-who-took-the-square-root-of/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) > [My mother was the only girl in the family. One brother was District Attorney of Odessa or something; another was teaching classical languages; another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gamow/my-mother-was-the-only-girl-in-the-family-one-brother-was-district/) [George Gamow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) [Explore all 15 George Gamow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gamow/) ## More Christopher-columbus quotes > [ “Columbus gave Europe a New World; \[Alexander von\] Humboldt made it known in its physical, material, intellectual, and moral aspects.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-cipriano-de-la-luz-y-caballero/columbus-gave-europe-a-new-world-alexander-von-humboldt-made-it-known/) José Cipriano de la Luz y Caballero > [“No thoughts had I of anything, Or at least that's what I thought; I even thought I couldn't think, But now I think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-miller/no-thoughts-had-i-of-anything-or-at-least-that-s-what-i-thought-i/) [Christopher Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-miller/) > [“Long before Christopher Columbus, the celebrated Chinese navigator Zheng He travelled through the south and westward maritime routes in the Indian Ocean and established…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mendis/long-before-christopher-columbus-the-celebrated-chinese-navigator/) [Patrick Mendis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mendis/) > [“Christopher Columbus and his brothers were no different from many of the Spanish adventurers of the time. They were a roughhewn lot, who wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-the-exciting-story-of-cuba-2/christopher-columbus-and-his-brothers-were-no-different-from-many-of/) Captain Hank Bracker, "The Exciting Story of Cuba > [“At ten o'clock we arrived in Aspinwall, or, as it is always called there, Colon, this being the real name of the place, given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-josephine-sanborn/at-ten-o-clock-we-arrived-in-aspinwall-or-as-it-is-always-called/) [Helen Josephine Sanborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-josephine-sanborn/) Browse all 6 Christopher-columbus quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If and when all the laws governing physical phenomena are finally discovered, and all the empirical constants occurring in these laws are finally expressed through the four independent basic constants, we will be able to say that physical science has reached its end, that no excitement is left in further explorations, and that all that remains to a physicist is either tedious work on minor details or the self-educational study and adoration of the magnificence of the completed system. 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