--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After reading a paper by a young…" description: "\"After reading a paper by a young theoretical scientist, Pauli, shaking his head sadly, commented: That is not even wrong.\" — Wolfgang Pauli" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png" --- # After reading a paper by a young theoretical scientist… ![“After reading a paper by a young theoretical scientist, Pauli, shaking his head sadly, commented: That is not even wrong.” quote by Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png) > “After reading a paper by a young theoretical scientist, Pauli, shaking his head sadly, commented: That is not even wrong.” [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He dismisses a flawed scientific claim as being beyond incorrect. **In simple terms:** The claim is completely wrong. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate evidence before acceptance. Themes science critique logic Mood analytical skeptical Type academic philosophical When to use this quote - peer review - academic debate - research proposals Key Concepts philosophy of science error detection Questions to Reflect On - What standards do you use to judge scientific validity? - How can we improve peer review? A Different Perspective Not all errors are obvious; some are subtle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) ## Related quotes > [The career of a young theoretical physicist consists of treating the harmonic oscillator in ever-increasing levels of abstraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-coleman/the-career-of-a-young-theoretical-physicist-consists-of-treating-the/) Sidney Coleman > [The young were always theoretical; only the middle-aged could realize the deadliness of principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-young-were-always-theoretical-only-the-middle-aged-could-realize/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“The young were always theoretical; only the middle-aged could realize the deadliness of principles. To subdue one’s self to one’s own ends might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/the-young-were-always-theoretical-only-the-middle-aged-could-realize-2/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [“The prime number 137 had continuously occupied Pauli's mind. It is an approximate value for a constant appearing in the fine structure theory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-laurikainen/the-prime-number-137-had-continuously-occupied-pauli-s-mind-it-is-an/) K. V. Laurikainen > [“Realizing its fundamental importance in understanding spectral lines, in atomic physics and in the theory of how light and electrons interact, quantum electrodynamics, Pauli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-i-miller/realizing-its-fundamental-importance-in-understanding-spectral-lines/) Arthur I. Miller > [“The focus of history and philosophy of science scholar Arthur Miller’s (2010) "137: Jung and Pauli and the Pursuit of Scientific Obsession" is Jung…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-hayen/the-focus-of-history-and-philosophy-of-science-scholar-arthur-miller/) Todd Hayen > [“In his first philosophical lecture on modern physics that Pauli gave in November 1934 to the Zurich Philosophical Society he said that only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-p-enz/in-his-first-philosophical-lecture-on-modern-physics-that-pauli-gave/) Charles P. Enz > [It was absolutely marvelous working for Pauli. You could ask him anything. There was no worry that he would think a particular question was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-frederick-weisskopf/it-was-absolutely-marvelous-working-for-pauli-you-could-ask-him/) [Victor Frederick Weisskopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-frederick-weisskopf/) > [ “For \[Wolfgang\] Pauli the central problem of electrodynamics was the field concept and the existence of an elementary charge which is expressible by the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-p-enz/for-wolfgang-pauli-the-central-problem-of-electrodynamics-was-the/) Charles P. Enz > [“If we wanted to construct a basic philosophical attitude from these scientific utterances of Pauli 's, at first we would be inclined to infer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/if-we-wanted-to-construct-a-basic-philosophical-attitude-from-these/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [ “Through Jung \[Pauli\] became very interested in various kinds of mysticism, including Jewish mysticism. This led Pauli to develop a friendship with Gershom Scholem,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-frederick-weisskopf/through-jung-pauli-became-very-interested-in-various-kinds-of/) [Victor Frederick Weisskopf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-frederick-weisskopf/) > [“He was shaking his head, biting into his lower lip, fighting the sheer misery of the anticipation, when he realized that another figure was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/he-was-shaking-his-head-biting-into-his-lower-lip-fighting-the-sheer/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [“For someone so intuitive,” he said, shaking his head, “sometimes you only see what you expect to see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-a-george/for-someone-so-intuitive-he-said-shaking-his-head-sometimes-you-only/) [M.A. George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-a-george/) > [“Why I let you talk me into these things, I’ll never understand. One day you’re going to get me into some serious trouble," Rowan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-beerden/why-i-let-you-talk-me-into-these-things-i-ll-never-understand-one-day/) [Stephanie Beerden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-beerden/) > [“You know," she had said, "I believe we are all given at least one moment in our lives when the world reveals itself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-francis-slattery/you-know-she-had-said-i-believe-we-are-all-given-at-least-one-moment/) [Brian Francis Slattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-francis-slattery/) ## More by Wolfgang Pauli > [Modern man, seeking a middle position in the evaluation of sense impression and thought, can, following Plato , interpret the process of understanding nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/modern-man-seeking-a-middle-position-in-the-evaluation-of-sense/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [Although I have no objection to accepting the existence of relatively constant psychic contents that survive personal ego, it must always be born in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/although-i-have-no-objection-to-accepting-the-existence-of-relatively/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [ The fact of the existence of two theories \[causal and acausal\] that contradict each other in Jung ... corresponds psychologically to the vascillation between 3 and 4. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-fact-of-the-existence-of-two-theories-causal-and-acausal-that/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [A colleague who met me strolling rather aimlessly in the beautiful streets of Copenhagen said to me in a friendly manner, "You look very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/a-colleague-who-met-me-strolling-rather-aimlessly-in-the-beautiful/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [“Our friend Dirac has a creed; and the main tenet of that creed is: There is no God, and Dirac is his prophet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/our-friend-dirac-has-a-creed-and-the-main-tenet-of-that-creed-is/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [One shouldn't work on semiconductors, that is a filthy mess; who knows whether any semiconductors exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/one-shouldn-t-work-on-semiconductors-that-is-a-filthy-mess-who-knows/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [The fact that the author thinks slowly is not serious, but the fact that he publishes faster than he thinks is inexcusable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-fact-that-the-author-thinks-slowly-is-not-serious-but-the-fact/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [When one analyzes the pre-conscious step to concepts, one always finds ideas which consist of 'symbolic images.' The first step to thinking is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/when-one-analyzes-the-pre-conscious-step-to-concepts-one-always-finds/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [The layman always means, when he says reality that he is speaking of something self-evidently known; whereas to me it seems the most important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-layman-always-means-when-he-says-reality-that-he-is-speaking-of/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [The best that most of us can hope to achieve in physics is simply to misunderstand at a deeper level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/the-best-that-most-of-us-can-hope-to-achieve-in-physics-is-simply-to/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [God made the bulk; the surface was invented by the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/god-made-the-bulk-the-surface-was-invented-by-the-devil/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [How can one avoid despondency if one thinks of the anomalous Zeeman effect?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/how-can-one-avoid-despondency-if-one-thinks-of-the-anomalous-zeeman/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [If speculative ideas can not be tested, they're not science; they don't even rise to the level of being wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/if-speculative-ideas-can-not-be-tested-they-re-not-science-they-don-t/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [From the point of view of logic, my report on 'Exclusion principle and quantum mechanics' has no conclusion. I believe that it will only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/from-the-point-of-view-of-logic-my-report-on-exclusion-principle-and/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [For quite a while I have set for myself the rule if a theoretician says 'universal' it just means pure nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/for-quite-a-while-i-have-set-for-myself-the-rule-if-a-theoretician/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) [Explore all 46 Wolfgang Pauli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) ## More Paper quotes > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [On paper, it looks rough, but I had a great childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-morton/on-paper-it-looks-rough-but-i-had-a-great-childhood/) [Samantha Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-morton/) > [For the time being Scherzer gives Washington a very nice rotation (on paper) with Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez, and Doug Fister, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-scherzer/for-the-time-being-scherzer-gives-washington-a-very-nice-rotation-on/) [Max Scherzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-scherzer/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [Why did I become a writer? Because I grew up in New York City, and there were seven newspapers in New York City, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-did-i-become-a-writer-because-i-grew-up-in-new-york-city-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The spectacle of a great, solvent government paying a fictitious price for gold it did not want and did not need and doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garet-garrett/the-spectacle-of-a-great-solvent-government-paying-a-fictitious-price/) [Garet Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garet-garrett/) > [In luggage claim at the Minneapolis airport, the guy came up to me and said, "Maybe you're wrong, maybe stories do matter." I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/in-luggage-claim-at-the-minneapolis-airport-the-guy-came-up-to-me-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [I'm a total technophobe. What is wrong with paper and pen? I was delighted when I learnt the word 'Luddite,' as I thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-guinness/i-m-a-total-technophobe-what-is-wrong-with-paper-and-pen-i-was/) [Jasmine Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-guinness/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) > [In a library we are surrounded by many hundreds of dear friends, but they are imprisoned by an enchanter in these paper and leathern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-a-library-we-are-surrounded-by-many-hundreds-of-dear-friends-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Sometimes change came all at once, with a sound like a fire taking hold of dry wood and paper, with a roar that rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/sometimes-change-came-all-at-once-with-a-sound-like-a-fire-taking/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [You know what really made me sick? I was in Washington, D.C. at another time reading in a paper where the U.S. gives Byron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/you-know-what-really-made-me-sick-i-was-in-washington-d-c-at-another/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [I'm a crumbled up piece of paper lying here, 'cause I remember it all too well](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-m-a-crumbled-up-piece-of-paper-lying-here-cause-i-remember-it-all/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) Browse all 4,015 Paper quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After reading a paper by a young theoretical scientist, Pauli, shaking his head sadly, commented: That is not even wrong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wolfgang Pauli" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoretical-scientist-pauli-shaking/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Paper" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoretical-scientist-pauli-shaking/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ee/wolfgang-pauli-14510_paper_after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoret_2349928.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“After reading a paper by a young theoretical scientist, Pauli, shaking his head sadly, commented: That is…” — Wolfgang Pauli", "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": "Wolfgang Pauli", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "After reading a paper by a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoretical-scientist-pauli-shaking/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/after-reading-a-paper-by-a-young-theoretical-scientist-pauli-shaking/#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 } } ] } ```