Fine-structure-constant Quote by Victor Frederick Weisskopf
““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 in modern physics. … When I mentioned this number --137-- to Scholem, … He told me that in Hebrew … The number corresponding to the word 'cabala' happens to be 137.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Oral History with Victor F. Weisskopf, 1975
Weuli connected physics with mysticism, noting that the Hebrew gematria of “cabala” equals 137, a significant number in physics.
In simple terms: Weuli saw a link between mysticism and physics via the number 137.
Explore interdisciplinary connections.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic research
- personal curiosity
- cross‑cultural dialogue
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do symbolic numbers influence scientific thinking?
- Can mysticism inform scientific inquiry?
The link may be coincidental rather than causal.