Carl Friedrich Gauss Quotes About Science

Quotes about: Science

• It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment. When I have clarified and exhausted a subject, then I turn away from it, in order to go into darkness again; the never-satisfied man is so strange if he has completed a structure, then it is not in order to dwell in it peacefully,but in order to begin another. I imagine the world conqueror must feel thus, who, after one kingdom is scarcely conquered, stretches out his arms for others.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Learning, Knowledge, Science

• I have had my results for a long time: but I do not yet know how I am to arrive at them.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Time, Math, Science

  "The Mind and the Eye: A Study of the Biologist's Standpoint". Book by A. Arber, 1954.

• There are problems to whose solution I would attach an infinitely greater importance than to those of mathematics, for example touching ethics, or our relation to God, or concerning our destiny and our future; but their solution lies wholly beyond us and completely outside the province of science.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Lying, Math, Science

  "The World of Mathematics". Book by J. R. Newman, 1956.

• Mathematical discoveries, like springtime violets in the woods, have their season which no human can hasten or retard.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Science, Discovery, Woods

• In my opinion instruction is very purposeless for such individuals who do no want merely to collect a mass of knowledge, but are mainly interested in exercising (training) their own powers. One doesn't need to grasp such a one by the hand and lead him to the goal, but only from time to time give him suggestions, in order that he may reach it himself in the shortest way.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Education, Exercise, Science

• By explanation the scientist understands nothing except the reduction to the least and simplest basic laws possible, beyond which he cannot go, but must plainly demand them; from them however he deduces the phenomena absolutely completely as necessary.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Science, Law, Demand

• I have the vagary of taking a lively interest in mathematical subjects only where I may anticipate ingenious association of ideas and results recommending themselves by elegance or generality.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Science, Ideas, May

• With a thousand joys I would accept a nonacademic job for which industriousness, accuracy, loyalty, and such are sufficient without specialized knowledge, and which would give a comfortable living and sufficient leisure, in order to sacrifice to my gods [mathematical research]. For example, I hope to get the editting of the census, the birth and death lists in local districts, not as a job, but for my pleasure and satisfaction.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Loyalty, Jobs, Science

• I am giving this winter two courses of lectures to three students, of which one is only moderately prepared, the other less than moderately, and the third lacks both preparation and ability. Such are the onera of a mathematical profession.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Education, Winter, Science

• I have a true aversion to teaching. The perennial business of a professor of mathematics is only to teach the ABC of his science; most of the few pupils who go a step further, and usually to keep the metaphor, remain in the process of gathering information, become only Halbwisser [one who has superficial knowledge of the subject], for the rarer talents do not want to have themselves educated by lecture courses, but train themselves. And with this thankless work the professor loses his precious time.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Education, Teaching, Science

• To the distracting occupations belong especially my lecture courses which I am holding this winter for the first time, and which now cost much more of my time than I like. Meanwhile I hope that the second time this expenditure of time will be much less, otherwise I would never be able to reconcile myself to it, even practical (astronomical) work must give far more satisfaction than if one brings up to B a couple more mediocre heads which otherwise would have stopped at A.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Education, Couple, Winter

• For three days now this angel, almost too heavenly for earth has been my fiancée ... Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant colours. Upon his engagement to Johanne Osthof of Brunswick; they married 9 Oct 1805.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Spring, Angel, Science

• It may be true that people who are merely mathematicians have certain specific shortcomings; however that is not the fault of mathematics, but is true of every exclusive occupation. Likewise a mere linguist, a mere jurist, a mere soldier, a mere merchant, and so forth. One could add such idle chatter that when a certain exclusive occupation is often connected with certain specific shortcomings, it is on the other hand always free of certain other shortcomings.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Science, Hands, People

• There have been only three epoch-making mathematicians, Archimedes, Newton, and Eisenstein.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Science, Three, Newton

  "Mathematics, Queen and Servant of Science". Book by Eric Temple Bell, 1951.

• I am coming more and more to the conviction that the necessity of our geometry cannot be demonstrated, at least neither by, nor for, the human intellect. . . Geometry should be ranked, not with arithmetic, which is purely aprioristic, but with mechanics.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Math, Science, Mechanic

  "Solid Shape". Book by Jan J. Koenderink, 1990.

• ...as our friend Zach has often noted, in our days those who do the best for astronomy are not the salaried university professors, but so-called dillettanti, physicians, jurists, and so forth.Lamenting the fragmentary time left to a professor has remaining after fulfilling his teaching duties.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Education, Teaching, Science

• My young friend, I wish that science would intoxicate you as much as our good Göttingen beer! Upon seeing a student staggering down a street.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Beer, Science, Young Friends

• As is well known the principle of virtual velocities transforms all statics into a mathematical assignment, and by D'Alembert's principle for dynamics, the latter is again reduced to statics. Although it is is very much in order that in gradual training of science and in the instruction of the individual the easier precedes the more difficult, the simple precedes the more complicated, the special precedes the general, yet the min, once it has arrived at the higher standpoint, demands the reverse process whereby all statics appears only as a very special case of mechanics.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Science, Simple, Order

• If others would but reflect on mathematical truths as deeply and as continuously as I have, they would make my discoveries.

  Carl Friedrich Gauss

  Truth, Science, Discovery

  "The World of Mathematics". Book by J. R. Newman, 1956.

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