For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.

— Richard Feynman

For instance, the scientific article may say, 'The radioactive phosphorus content of the cerebrum of the rat decreases to one-half in a period of two weeks.' Now what does that mean? It means that phosphorus that is in the brain of a rat—and also in mine, and yours—is not the same phosphorus as it was two weeks ago. It means the atoms that are in the brain are being replaced: the ones that were there before have gone away. So what is this mind of ours: what are these atoms with consciousness? Last week's potatoes! They now can remember what was going on in my mind a year ago—a mind which has long ago been replaced. To note that the thing I call my individuality is only a pattern or dance, that is what it means when one discovers how long it takes for the atoms of the brain to be replaced by other atoms. The atoms come into my brain, dance a dance, and then go out—there are always new atoms, but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday.

— Richard Feynman

How you get to know is what I want to know.

— Richard Feynman

I... a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.

— Richard Feynman

I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy.

— Richard Feynman

I believe, therefore, that although it is not the case today, that there may some day come a time, I should hope, when it will fully appreciate that the power of governments should be limited; that governments ought not to be empowered to decide the validity of scientific theories, that this is a ridiculous thing for them to try to do; that they are not to decide the description of history or of economic theory or of philosophy.

— Richard Feynman

I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.

— Richard Feynman

I couldn't claim that I was smarter than sixty-five other guys--but the average of sixty-five other guys, certainly!

— Richard Feynman

I don't know what's the matter with people: they don't learn by understanding, they learn by some other way — by rote or something. Their knowledge is so fragile!

— Richard Feynman

I don't mind not knowing. It doesn't scare me.

— Richard Feynman