The only object of theoretical physics is to calculate results that can be compared with experiment... it is quite unnecessary that any satisfactory description of the whole course of the phenomena should be given.

If we are honest - and scientists have to be - we must admit that religion is a jumble of false assertions, with no basis in reality.

I think it is the general rule that the originator of a new idea is not the most suitable person to develop it, because his fears of something going wrong are really too strong... At age 69.

It is more important to have beauty in one's equations than to have them fit experiment.

A book on the new physics, if not purely descriptive of experimental work, must essentially be mathematical.

Living is worthwhile if one can contribute in some small way to this endless chain of progress.

I found the best ideas usually came, not when one was actively striving for them, but when one was in a more relaxed state… I used to take long solitary walks on Sundays, during which I tended to review the current situation in a leisurely way. Such occasions often proved fruitful, even though (or perhaps, because) the primary purpose of the walk was relaxation and not research.