--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Physics is not about how the world is, it…" description: "\"“Physics is not about how the world is, it is about what we can say about the world”\" — Niels Bohr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png" --- # Physics is not about how the world is, it is about what we… ![“Physics is not about how the world is, it is about what we can say about the world” quote by Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png) > ““Physics is not about how the world is, it is about what we can say about the world”” [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science describes models of reality, not reality itself. **In simple terms:** Science is about our descriptions, not facts. Key Takeaway Focus on questioning and refining models. Themes science knowledge language Mood analytical inquisitive Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - research - teaching - policy making - public discourse Key Concepts epistemology modeling interpretation Questions to Reflect On - What limits our scientific descriptions? - How do language and perception shape knowledge? A Different Perspective Models can mislead if taken as absolute truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [ “You cannot indeed say anything to anyone in this world. Whatever we ‘say’, it is ‘egoism’. The whole world is in order \[in control\].” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/you-cannot-indeed-say-anything-to-anyone-in-this-world-whatever-we/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Do whatever you want to do don't care what the world say. World is for you. You are not for the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/do-whatever-you-want-to-do-don-t-care-what-the-world-say-world-is-for/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [I would say the world's in terrible shape, but I'm afraid the world would say, "Look who's talking".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-elliot/i-would-say-the-world-s-in-terrible-shape-but-i-m-afraid-the-world/) [Cass Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-elliot/) > [There are two worlds we live in: a material world, bound by the laws of physics, and the world inside our mind, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/there-are-two-worlds-we-live-in-a-material-world-bound-by-the-laws-of/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is the world's greatest pure physics thinktank, and it's located here in Canada, in Waterloo, Ont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/the-perimeter-institute-for-theoretical-physics-is-the-world-s/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [...quantum mechanics—the physics of our world—requires that you hold such pedestrian complaints in abeyance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/quantum-mechanics-the-physics-of-our-world-requires-that-you-hold/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [It is a bizarre world. It is an upside down, inside out, quantum physics world. It is the eve of destruction in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/it-is-a-bizarre-world-it-is-an-upside-down-inside-out-quantum-physics/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [The most difficult word to say in this world is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salai-peter/the-most-difficult-word-to-say-in-this-world-is/) Salai Peter > [Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/some-say-the-world-will-end-in-fire-some-say-in-ice/) [Robert Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-frost/) > [If you can't find an answer at the mall or the library, what does that say about the world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bauer/if-you-can-t-find-an-answer-at-the-mall-or-the-library-what-does-that/) [Joan Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bauer/) > [What can I say...they are my WORLD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandy/what-can-i-say-they-are-my-world/) Sandy > [My job is to say, 'This is how I see the world. Do you agree?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/my-job-is-to-say-this-is-how-i-see-the-world-do-you-agree/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [Never say No when the world says Aye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/never-say-no-when-the-world-says-aye/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [You might say the world is going to end if you tell me but I will only come back to say that the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-crosby/you-might-say-the-world-is-going-to-end-if-you-tell-me-but-i-will/) [Cassandra Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-crosby/) > [I don't have anything good to say. World Golf Championships, I mean that suggests they're going to be played everywhere, and they tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-ogilvy/i-don-t-have-anything-good-to-say-world-golf-championships-i-mean/) Geoff Ogilvy ## More by Niels Bohr > [An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-a-man-who-has-made-all-the-mistakes-which-can-be-made-in/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“Stop telling God what to do with his dice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/stop-telling-god-what-to-do-with-his-dice/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/an-expert-is-someone-who-knows-some-of-the-worst-mistakes-which-can/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [The opposite of every great idea is another great idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-opposite-of-every-great-idea-is-another-great-idea/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [“Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself it’s own solution. It forces us to change our thinking in order to find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/every-great-and-deep-difficulty-bears-in-itself-it-s-own-solution-it/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [It is a great pity that human beings cannot find all of their satisfaction in scientific contemplativeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/it-is-a-great-pity-that-human-beings-cannot-find-all-of-their/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Anyone not shocked by quantum mechanics has not yet understood it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/anyone-not-shocked-by-quantum-mechanics-has-not-yet-understood-it/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [The meaning of life consists in the fact that it makes no sense to say that life has no meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-meaning-of-life-consists-in-the-fact-that-it-makes-no-sense-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Technology has advanced more in the last thirty years than in the previous two thousand. The exponential increase in advancement will only continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/technology-has-advanced-more-in-the-last-thirty-years-than-in-the/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [ Anybody who is not shocked by this subject has failed to understand it. \[of quantum mechanics\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/anybody-who-is-not-shocked-by-this-subject-has-failed-to-understand/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/when-it-comes-to-atoms-language-can-be-used-only-as-in-poetry-the/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [Every description of natural processes must be based on ideas which have been introduced and defined by the classical theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/every-description-of-natural-processes-must-be-based-on-ideas-which/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [It is, indeed, perhaps the greatest prospect of humanistic studies to contribute through an increasing knowledge of the history of cultural development to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/it-is-indeed-perhaps-the-greatest-prospect-of-humanistic-studies-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [One thought spectra are marvellous, but it is not possible to make progress there. Just as if you have the wing of a butterfly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/one-thought-spectra-are-marvellous-but-it-is-not-possible-to-make/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [If you think you understand it, that only shows that you don't know the first thing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/if-you-think-you-understand-it-that-only-shows-that-you-don-t-know/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) [Explore all 108 Niels Bohr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) ## More Physics quotes > [“The universe is not punishing you or blessing you. The universe is simply responding to the vibrational attitude that you are emitting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-hicks/the-universe-is-not-punishing-you-or-blessing-you-the-universe-is/) [Abraham Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-hicks/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“The generalized theory of relativity has furnished still more remarkable results. This considers not only uniform but also accelerated motion. In particular, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-michelson/the-generalized-theory-of-relativity-has-furnished-still-more/) A.A. Michelson > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [. . . to know the order of nature, and regard the universe as orderly is the highest function of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/to-know-the-order-of-nature-and-regard-the-universe-as-orderly-is-the/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Worship isn't destructive, Martin. I know that. I don't. I only know it's the core of his life. What else has he got? He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shaffer/worship-isn-t-destructive-martin-i-know-that-i-don-t-i-only-know-it-s/) [Peter Shaffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shaffer/) > [“the new theory of matter has entirely over thrown the old conception of the unchanging atoms, and they are now regarded to be composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/the-new-theory-of-matter-has-entirely-over-thrown-the-old-conception/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [In this other dimension I feel tension surrounding my every move. You and I are together at last. We are captive in our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-elektricity/in-this-other-dimension-i-feel-tension-surrounding-my-every-move-you/) [London Elektricity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-elektricity/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [The strongest force in the universe is Compound Interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-strongest-force-in-the-universe-is-compound-interest/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [As for the forces, electromagnetism and gravity we experience in everyday life. But the weak and strong forces are beyond our ordinary experience. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/as-for-the-forces-electromagnetism-and-gravity-we-experience-in/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [“Science is progressive and self-correcting: no significantly erroneous conclusions or false hypotheses can be sustained for long, as newer observations will ultimately knock down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-s-collins/science-is-progressive-and-self-correcting-no-significantly-erroneous/) [Francis S. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-s-collins/) > [Natural history is not taught in seminary. This is curious, as most people in pastoral ministry are about 567 times more likely to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/natural-history-is-not-taught-in-seminary-this-is-curious-as-most/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) [Browse all 4,299 Physics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Physics is not about how the world is, it is about what we can say about the world”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Niels Bohr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it-is-about-what-we-can-say/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Physics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it-is-about-what-we-can-say/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d62/niels-bohr-4542_physics_physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it_1039923.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Physics is not about how the world is, it is about what we can say about the world” — Niels Bohr", "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": "Niels Bohr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Physics is not about how the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it-is-about-what-we-can-say/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/physics-is-not-about-how-the-world-is-it-is-about-what-we-can-say/#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 } } ] } ```