Quotes by Oppenheimer
I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.
The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.
The atomic bomb made the prospect of future war unendurable. It has led us up those last few steps to the mountain pass, and beyond there is a different country.
In some sort of crude sense, which no vulgarity, no humor, no overstatement can quite extinguish, the physicists have known sin; and this is a knowledge which they cannot lose.
It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is.
It is through science that we prove, but through intuition that we discover.
The best way to send a message is to wrap it up in a person.
The world will not be the same.
If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.
Scientific truth is beyond loyalty and disloyalty.
The full meaning of a word is always a product of the interaction of the user and the receiver.
No man’s knowledge can go beyond his experience.
We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent.
The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience.
There are children playing in the streets who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they have modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago.
The most deeply interesting problem of modern physics is that of atomic disintegration.
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.
The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set a limit to infinite error.
The thing looks a bit like a gas meter.
A scientist is never certain. We all know that. We know that all our statements are approximate statements with different degrees of certainty; that when a statement is made, the question is not whether it is true or false but rather how likely it is to be true or false.
Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of fact.
The atomic bomb made the prospect of future war unendurable. It has led us up to those last few steps to the mountain pass, and beyond there is different country.
If atomic bombs are to be added as new weapons to the arsenals of a warring world, or to the arsenals of nations preparing for war, then the time will come when mankind will curse the names of Los Alamos and Hiroshima. The people of this world must unite or they will perish.
Physics is becoming too difficult for the physicists.
The atomic bomb made the prospect of future war unendurable. It has led us up those last few steps to the mountain pass, and beyond there is a different country.
It’s always wise to skeptically question any new information and continue to think for oneself.
There are no secrets about the world of nature. There are secrets about the thoughts and intentions of men.
Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
A man is never lost in space; he’s merely searching for a different kind of home.
The ideas of science are not without importance to man, but rather it is a matter of knowing in what sense they are important.
We must be prepared to clash with ignorance and irrationality, not only in ourselves but in others.
Science teaches us how to do; it is the humanities that teach us what to do and why.
It is morally imperative for scientists and their institutions to question, challenge, and expose all abuses and deceptive practices, otherwise science itself will be undermined.
The future belongs to those who understand that science, when used correctly, is a tool for progress, not destruction.
The true scientist is constantly open to learning, adapting, and evolving.
The purpose of science is not to prove or disprove God, but to seek understanding and knowledge.
As scientists, we have a responsibility to use our knowledge for the betterment of society, not just for our personal gain.
The pursuit of knowledge is a journey that never ends.
It is the duty of scientists to advocate for evidence-based decision making and to challenge misinformation and pseudoscience.
Science is not a threat to faith, but a complement to it. It helps us better appreciate the wonders of creation.
The discovery of new knowledge is exhilarating, but it also comes with a great responsibility to use it wisely.
Science is like a language that allows us to communicate with the universe.
The universe is a vast and wondrous place, filled with countless mysteries waiting to be unraveled.
Our understanding of the universe is constantly expanding, but there will always be more to discover.
The pursuit of knowledge requires both curiosity and perseverance.
Science is the key that unlocks the door to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
The beauty of science lies not just in its discoveries, but in the questions it inspires.
Scientific progress is not linear, but a complex tapestry of trial and error, success and failure.
The wonder of science is that it allows us to glimpse the underlying order and beauty of the natural world.