--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To the electron: May it never be of use…" description: "\"“To the electron: May it never be of use to anyone”\" — J.J. Thompson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/j-j-thompson-244559_quote_to-the-electron-may-it-never-be-of-use-t_1328196.jpg" --- # To the electron: May it never be of use to anyone ![“To the electron: May it never be of use to anyone” quote by J.J. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/j-j-thompson-244559_quote_to-the-electron-may-it-never-be-of-use-t_1328196.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/j-j-thompson-244559_quote_to-the-electron-may-it-never-be-of-use-t_1328196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16a/j-j-thompson-244559_quote_to-the-electron-may-it-never-be-of-use-t_1328196.jpg) > ““To the electron: May it never be of use to anyone”” [J.J. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A wish for electrons to remain unused reflects a desire for non‑interference or the avoidance of unintended consequences. **In simple terms:** Wishing electrons unused suggests avoidance of unintended impacts. Key Takeaway Consider the ethics of scientific application. Themes science ethics technology responsibility intentionality Mood thoughtful cautious analytical Type Electron:1 Theory:1 Electron Use:1 When to use this quote - research planning - policy making - public discourse Key Concepts physics philosophy environmental ethics Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of leaving knowledge unused? - How can we balance innovation with caution? A Different Perspective Technological progress often requires careful, not total avoidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Electron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electron/) [Electron Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electron-use-3333143/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) ## Related quotes > [The electron: may it never be of any use to anybody!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-john-thomson/the-electron-may-it-never-be-of-any-use-to-anybody/) [Joseph John Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-john-thomson/) > [I'm positive I lost an electron, I better keep an ion that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-positive-i-lost-an-electron-i-better-keep-an-ion-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/it-s-good-to-meet-you-dr-banner-your-work-on-anti-electron-collisions/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“We create models to explain nature, but the models wind u gate-crashing nature and driving away the original inhabitants. In my lecturing days most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/we-create-models-to-explain-nature-but-the-models-wind-u-gate/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [I wanna be your girlfriend more than an electron wants to attach to a proton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/i-wanna-be-your-girlfriend-more-than-an-electron-wants-to-attach-to-a/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [“an electron accelerated to .9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999 times the speed of light would hit you with the same impact as a Mack truck traveling at normal speed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/an-electron-accelerated-to/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“Werner feels he is gazing down into the circuitry of an enormous radio, each soldier down there an electron flowing single file down his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/werner-feels-he-is-gazing-down-into-the-circuitry-of-an-enormous/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [This is our world now The world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loyd-blankenship/this-is-our-world-now-the-world-of-the-electron-and-the-switch-the/) [Loyd Blankenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loyd-blankenship/) > [“Take this neat little equation here. It tells me all the ways an electron can make itself comfortable in or around an atom. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/take-this-neat-little-equation-here-it-tells-me-all-the-ways-an/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) > [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/) > [“The existence of both ( electron and pebble ) depends upon the context created by our thoughts, our language, our theories, and our interaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-alba-juez/the-existence-of-both-electron-and-pebble-depends-upon-the-context/) [Felix Alba-Juez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-alba-juez/) > [The electron can no longer be conceived as a single, small granule of electricity; it must be associated with a wave, and this wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-broglie/the-electron-can-no-longer-be-conceived-as-a-single-small-granule-of/) [Louis de Broglie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-broglie/) > [An electron is real; a probability is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/an-electron-is-real-a-probability-is-not/) [Hans Christian von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [I always imagined myself somehow as an electron around some atom, and you're just, like, bouncing around and spinning. There was a never-ending supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-freston/i-always-imagined-myself-somehow-as-an-electron-around-some-atom-and/) [Tom Freston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-freston/) > [“The bridge between the electron and the other elementary particles is provided by the fine structure constant. ... An expanded form of the constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-h-mac-gregor/the-bridge-between-the-electron-and-the-other-elementary-particles-is/) [Malcolm H. Mac Gregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-h-mac-gregor/) ## More Electron quotes > [I'm positive I lost an electron, I better keep an ion that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-positive-i-lost-an-electron-i-better-keep-an-ion-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I always imagined myself somehow as an electron around some atom, and you're just, like, bouncing around and spinning. There was a never-ending supply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-freston/i-always-imagined-myself-somehow-as-an-electron-around-some-atom-and/) [Tom Freston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-freston/) > [An electron is real; a probability is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-christian-von-baeyer/an-electron-is-real-a-probability-is-not/) [Hans Christian von Baeyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-christian-von-baeyer/) > [The electron can no longer be conceived as a single, small granule of electricity; it must be associated with a wave, and this wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-broglie/the-electron-can-no-longer-be-conceived-as-a-single-small-granule-of/) [Louis de Broglie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-broglie/) > [“The existence of both ( electron and pebble ) depends upon the context created by our thoughts, our language, our theories, and our interaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-alba-juez/the-existence-of-both-electron-and-pebble-depends-upon-the-context/) [Felix Alba-Juez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-alba-juez/) > [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/) > [“Take this neat little equation here. It tells me all the ways an electron can make itself comfortable in or around an atom. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-feynman/take-this-neat-little-equation-here-it-tells-me-all-the-ways-an/) [Richard Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-feynman/) > [This is our world now The world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loyd-blankenship/this-is-our-world-now-the-world-of-the-electron-and-the-switch-the/) [Loyd Blankenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loyd-blankenship/) > [“Werner feels he is gazing down into the circuitry of an enormous radio, each soldier down there an electron flowing single file down his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/werner-feels-he-is-gazing-down-into-the-circuitry-of-an-enormous/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [“an electron accelerated to .9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999 times the speed of light would hit you with the same impact as a Mack truck traveling at normal speed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/an-electron-accelerated-to/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [I wanna be your girlfriend more than an electron wants to attach to a proton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/i-wanna-be-your-girlfriend-more-than-an-electron-wants-to-attach-to-a/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [“We create models to explain nature, but the models wind u gate-crashing nature and driving away the original inhabitants. In my lecturing days most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/we-create-models-to-explain-nature-but-the-models-wind-u-gate/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/it-s-good-to-meet-you-dr-banner-your-work-on-anti-electron-collisions/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [The electron: may it never be of any use to anybody!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-john-thomson/the-electron-may-it-never-be-of-any-use-to-anybody/) [Joseph John Thomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-john-thomson/) > [“The bridge between the electron and the other elementary particles is provided by the fine structure constant. ... An expanded form of the constant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-h-mac-gregor/the-bridge-between-the-electron-and-the-other-elementary-particles-is/) [Malcolm H. Mac Gregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-h-mac-gregor/) [Browse all 48 Electron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electron/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To the electron: May it never be of use to anyone”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.J. 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