The principle of science, the definition, almost, is the following: The test of all knowledge is experiment. Experiment is the sole judge of scientific "truth." But what is the source of knowledge? Where do the laws that are to be tested come from? Experiment, itself, helps to produce these laws, in the sense that it gives us hints. But also needed is imagination to create from these hints the great generalizations--to guess at the wonderful, simple, but very strange patterns beneath them all, and then to experiment to check again whether we have made the right guess.
Richard P. FeynmanIt is the facts that matter, not the proofs. Physics can progress without the proofs, but we can't go on without the facts ... if the facts are right, then the proofs are a matter of playing around with the algebra correctly.
Richard P. FeynmanI have argued flying saucers with lots of people. I was interested in possible. They do not appreciate that the problem is not to demonstrate whether it's possible or not but whether it's going on or not.
Richard P. FeynmanIf science is to progress, what we need is the ability to experiment, honesty in reporting resultsโthe results must be reported without somebody saying what they would like the results to have beenโand finallyโan important thingโthe intelligence to interpret the results.
Richard P. FeynmanThat is the logical tight-rope on which we have to walk if we wish to interpret nature.
Richard P. FeynmanI learned a lot of different things from different schools. MIT is a very good placeโฆ. It has developed for itself a spirit, so that every member of the whole place thinks that itโs the most wonderful place in the worldโitโs the center, somehow, of scientific and technological development in the United States, if not the world โฆ and while you donโt get a good sense of proportion there, you do get an excellent sense of being with it and in it, and having motivation and desire to keep on
Richard P. Feynman