The science of pure mathematics, in its modern developments, may claim to be the most original creation of the human spirit.

No man of science wants merely to know. He acquires knowledge to appease his passion for discovery. He does not discover in order to know, he knows in order to discover.

Apart from God every activity is merely a passing whiff of insignificance.

In a sense, knowledge shrinks as wisdom grows: for details are swallowed up in principles.

Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced.

Every organism requires an environment of friends, partly to shield it from violent changes, and partly to supply it with its wants.

It is more important that a proposition be interesting than that it be true.