Freeman Dyson
Freeman Dyson
Freeman John Dyson FRSis an English-born American theoretical physicist and mathematician, known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, solid-state physics, astronomy and nuclear engineering. He is professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study, a Visitor of Ralston College, and a member of the Board of Sponsors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists...
law choices growth
Atoms are weird stuff, behaving like active agents rather than inert substances. They make unpredictable choices between alternative possibilities according to the laws of quantum mechanics. It appears that mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent inherent in every atom. The universe is also weird, with its laws of nature that make it hospitable to the growth of mind. I do not make any clear distinction between mind and God. God is what mind becomes when it passes beyond the scale of our comprehension.
crazy discovery innovation
Most of the crackpot papers which are submitted to The Physical Review are rejected, not because it is impossible to understand them, but because it is possible. Those which are impossible to understand are usually published. When the great innovation appears, it will almost certainly be in a muddled, incomplete and confusing form. To the discoverer himself it will be only half-understood; to everybody else it will be a mystery. For any speculation which does not at first glance look crazy, there is no hope.
details architecture study
The more I examine the universe and study the details of its architecture, the more evidence I find that the universe in some sense must have known that we were coming.
mistake engineering forgiving
Aviation is the branch of engineering that is least forgiving of mistakes.
jobs technology effectiveness
The marketplace judges technologies by their practical effectiveness, by whether they succeed or fail to do the job they are designed to do.
views bonus tragic
If you start out with a tragic view of life, then anything since is just a bonus.
people want
I have the freedom to do what I want... bright people to talk to every day.
running
Of course, long-distance running has to do with the fact that we're hunters.
climate uncertain predictions
I am saying that all predictions concerning climate are highly uncertain.
fall believe people
The public knows that human beings are fallible. Only people blinded by ideology fall into the trap of believing in their own infallibility.
important scientist journalist
Scepticism is as important for a good journalist as it is for a good scientist.
boring
Nothing is boring if you look at carefully.
humor problem characteristics
It is characteristic of all deep human problems that they are not to be approached without some humor and some bewilderment.
technology government needs
What the world needs is a small, compact, flexible fusion technology that could make electricity where and when it is needed. The existing fusion program is leading to a huge source of centralized power, at a price that nobody except a government can afford.