--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fundamental laws of physics do not…" description: "\"The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts about reality. Rendered as descriptions of facts, they are false; amended to be true, they l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg" --- # The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts… ![“The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts about reality. Rendered as descriptions of facts, they are false; amended to be true, they lose their explanatory force.” quote by Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg) > “The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts about reality. Rendered as descriptions of facts, they are false; amended to be true, they lose their explanatory force.” [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical laws are models, not literal truths; they simplify reality but lose explanatory power when forced to be exact. **In simple terms:** Laws are approximations, not exact facts. Key Takeaway Accept models as tools, not ultimate reality. Themes philosophy science epistemology Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - research - education - policy making - scientific communication Key Concepts modeling truth explanatory power Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance model simplicity with accuracy? - When should a model be revised? A Different Perspective Models may mislead if taken as literal truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Amended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amended/) [Be true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-true/) [Describe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/describe/) [Descriptions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/descriptions/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Facts Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts-reality-782850/) [False](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Fundamental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental/) [Fundamental Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamental-laws-526423/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Laws of physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-of-physics/) [Laws Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-physics/) [Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lose/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Physics True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics-true-490944/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Rendered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rendered/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-facts/) ## Related quotes > [Don't confuse facts with reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-confuse-facts-with-reality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Science seems to be at war with itself… Naive realism leads to physics, and physics, if true, shows naive realism tobe false. Therefore naive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/science-seems-to-be-at-war-with-itself-naive-realism-leads-to-physics/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [He who is conversant with the supernal powers will not worship these inferior deities of the wind, waves, tide, and sunshine. Butwe would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/he-who-is-conversant-with-the-supernal-powers-will-not-worship-these/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What is done cannot be now amended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/what-is-done-cannot-be-now-amended/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The U.S. constitution is an extraordinary document. In my view, it should not be amended often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-u-s-constitution-is-an-extraordinary-document-in-my-view-it/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The Constitution is a document that should only be amended with great caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-constitution-is-a-document-that-should-only-be-amended-with-great/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [“Hacks didn't destroy, they just...creatively amended.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/hacks-didn-t-destroy-they-just-creatively-amended/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Little said is soon amended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/little-said-is-soon-amended/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [It's crazy that the Constitution has to be amended to clarify what for the majority of Americans is a clear and true statement: corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chellie-pingree/it-s-crazy-that-the-constitution-has-to-be-amended-to-clarify-what/) [Chellie Pingree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chellie-pingree/) > [“or amended and saved at 1:08 p.m. that afternoon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/or-amended-and-saved-at-1-08-p-m-that-afternoon/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“It's true that some mistakes can never be amended no matter what you do, but that doesn't mean it's all right to give up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noriko-ogiwara/it-s-true-that-some-mistakes-can-never-be-amended-no-matter-what-you/) [Noriko Ogiwara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noriko-ogiwara/) > [Little said is soon amended. There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/little-said-is-soon-amended-there-is-always-time-to-add-a-word-never/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [“Musical innovation is full of danger to the State, for when modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the State always change with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/musical-innovation-is-full-of-danger-to-the-state-for-when-modes-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [It is disastrous to own more of anything than you can possess, and it is one of the most fundamental laws of human nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/it-is-disastrous-to-own-more-of-anything-than-you-can-possess-and-it/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [I strongly believe that the fundamental laws of nature are not emergent phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gross/i-strongly-believe-that-the-fundamental-laws-of-nature-are-not/) [David Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gross/) ## More by Nancy Cartwright > [Life is a paradox, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/life-is-a-paradox-you-re-damned-if-you-do-and-damned-if-you-don-t/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [Adding 'just kidding' doesn't make it okay to insult the Principal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/adding-just-kidding-doesn-t-make-it-okay-to-insult-the-principal/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [I will not get very far with this attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/i-will-not-get-very-far-with-this-attitude/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [Since September 11, security has been increased everywhere, and we have new IDs to get on to the Fox lot. I drove to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/since-september-11-security-has-been-increased-everywhere-and-we-have/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [I am not authorized to fire substitute teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/i-am-not-authorized-to-fire-substitute-teachers/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [I don't use the voice of Bart when I'm making love to my husband, but Marge's voice turns him on a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/i-don-t-use-the-voice-of-bart-when-i-m-making-love-to-my-husband-but/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, there's no way you can prove anything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/i-didn-t-do-it-nobody-saw-me-do-it-there-s-no-way-you-can-prove/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [Grammar is not a time of waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/grammar-is-not-a-time-of-waste/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [Remember, you can always find East by staring directly at the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/remember-you-can-always-find-east-by-staring-directly-at-the-sun/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/i-will-not-expose-the-ignorance-of-the-faculty/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with Hail Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/the-pledge-of-allegiance-does-not-end-with-hail-satan/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [The Good Humor man can only be pushed so far.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/the-good-humor-man-can-only-be-pushed-so-far/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [Cursive writing does not mean what I think it does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/cursive-writing-does-not-mean-what-i-think-it-does/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) > [Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Contrary to what you've just seen, war is neither glamorous nor fun. There are no winners, only losers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/ladies-and-gentlemen-boys-and-girls-contrary-to-what-you-ve-just-seen/) [Nancy Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) [Explore all 15 Nancy Cartwright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts about reality. Rendered as descriptions of facts, they are false; amended to be true, they lose their explanatory force.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Cartwright" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-describe-true-facts-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-describe-true-facts-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/090/nancy-cartwright-32554_about_the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-d_3012932.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fundamental laws of physics do not describe true facts about reality. Rendered as descriptions of facts…” — Nancy Cartwright", "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": "Nancy Cartwright", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-cartwright/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The fundamental laws of physics do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-describe-true-facts-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-cartwright/the-fundamental-laws-of-physics-do-not-describe-true-facts-about/#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 } } ] } ```