Charles Hard Townes Quotes

• I strongly believe in the existence of God, based on intuition, observations, logic, and also scientific knowledge.

  Charles Hard Townes

  God, Faith, Believe

  33 Copy quote

• Science, with its experiments and logic, tries to understand the order or structure of the universe. Religion, with its theological inspiration and reflection, tries to understand the purpose or meaning of the universe. These two are cross-related. Purpose implies structure, and structure ought somehow to be interpretable in terms of purpose.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Inspiration, Reflection, Order

  22 Copy quote

• The beaver told the rabbit as they stared at the Hoover Dam: No, I didn't build it myself, but it's based on an idea of mine

  Charles Hard Townes

  Inspirational, Ideas, Rabbits

  48 Copy quote

• At least this is the way I see it. I am a physicist. I also consider myself a Christian. As I try to understand the nature of our universe in these two modes of thinking, I see many commonalities and crossovers between science and religion. It seems logical that in the long run the two will even converge.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Christian, Running, Thinking

  16 Copy quote

• When God said "Let there be light" he surely must have meant perfectly coherent light.

  Charles Hard Townes

  God, Science, Light

  19 Copy quote

• We can't avoid age. However, we can avoid some aging. Continue to do things. Be active. Life is fantastic in the way it adjusts to demands; if you use your muscles and mind, they stay there much longer.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Mind, Age, Use

  "Charles H. Townes: What I've Learned" by Scott Carrier, www.esquire.com. January 29, 2007.

  12 Copy quote

• Much public thinking follows a rut. The same thing is true in science. People get stuck and don't look in other directions.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Thinking, People, Looks

  "Charles H. Townes: What I've Learned" by Scott Carrier, www.esquire.com. January 29, 2007.

  8 Copy quote

• The development of science is basically a social phenomenon, dependent on hard work and mutual support of many scientists and on the societies in which they live.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Hard Work, Mutual Support, Development

  8 Copy quote

• Many have a feeling that somehow intelligence must have been involved in the laws of the universe.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Law, Feelings, Evolution

  6 Copy quote

• The late Richard Feynman, a superb physicist, said once as we talked about the laser that the way to tell a great idea is that, when people hear it, they say, 'Gee, I could have thought of that.'

  Charles Hard Townes

  Ideas, People, Richard Feynman

  8 Copy quote

• The imposing edifice of science provides a challenging view of what can be achieved by the accumulation of many small efforts in a steady objective and dedicated search for truth.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Views, Effort, Challenges

  7 Copy quote

• It's almost a sort of fairy story tale, just what a novelist would write about a discovery.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Writing, Science, Discovery

  "Nobel Prize in Physics". The Academy of Achievement interview, www.achievement.org. March 18, 1991.

  8 Copy quote

• In many cases, people who win a Nobel prize, their work slows down after that because of the distractions. Yes, fame is rewarding, but it's a pity if it keeps you from doing the work you are good at.

  Charles Hard Townes

  Winning, People, Pity

  "Charles H. Townes: What I've Learned" by Scott Carrier, www.esquire.com. January 29, 2007.

  7 Copy quote

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