Fine-structure-constant Quote by Steven Weinberg
““Itwas one time when people thought the value of the fine structure constant wasimportant. Now of course it's still important, of course, as a practical matter,but we now know that the value it has is a function, that in any fundamental theory you derive the fine structure constant as a function of all sorts of mass ratios and so on, and it's not really that fundamental.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Stanford Physics Colloquium, 1998
The fine‑structure constant isn’t a fixed number but emerges from deeper mass ratios in fundamental theory.
In simple terms: Its value depends on other constants.
Key Takeaway
Explore underlying relationships.
Themes
physics
fundamental constants
theory
science
philosophy
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- research discussions
- university courses
- science communication
Key Concepts
quantum electrodynamics
mass ratios
theoretical physics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do mass ratios affect observable phenomena?
- What does “non‑fundamental” imply for physics?
A Different Perspective
Understanding may be limited by current experimental precision.
![“The fine-structure constant derives its name from its origin. It first appeared in Sommerfeld's work to explain the fine details of the hydrogen spectrum. ... Since Sommerfeld expressed the energy states of the hydrogen atom in terms of the constant [alpha], it came to be called the fine-structure…” quote by John S. Rigden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/576/john-s-rigden-249641_fine-structure-const_the-fine-structure-constant-derives-its_1276948.jpg)
![“Through Jung [Pauli] became very interested in various kinds of mysticism, including Jewish mysticism. This led Pauli to develop a friendship with Gershom Scholem, the world's greatest authority in that field and in the Cabala, … On one occasion Scholem asked me to tell him about unsolved problems…” quote by Victor Frederick Weisskopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe0/victor-frederick-weisskopf-451_137_through-jung-pauli-became-very-intereste_269318.jpg)
![“Now let us analyze the other two occupants of the inner Sanctuary or Oracle. They are the two cherubim who guard the Ark ... [and] "The Molten Sea" ...There are also two other elements of the Temple of which they are the image, and these other two units are the Great Pyramid and the Inner Court…” quote by William Eisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/36d/william-eisen-84122_ancient-history_now-let-us-analyze-the-other-two-occupan_275621.jpg)
![“For [Wolfgang] Pauli the central problem of electrodynamics was the field concept and the existence of an elementary charge which is expressible by the fine-structure constant ... 1/137. This fundamental pure number had greatly fascinated Pauli, … For Pauli the explanation of the number 137 was…” quote by Charles P. Enz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/243/charles-p-enz-91251_fine-structure-const_for-wolfgang-pauli-the-central-problem-o_862023.jpg)