25 Richard Feynman Quotes About Science, Life, and Learning

Richard Feynman was a brilliant scientist as well as a wise man.

We hope you enjoy these Richard Feynman quotes about science, life, learning, and more.

American physicist, Richard Feynman is just one of many examples reflecting the irrelevancy of IQ tests.

Highly regarded as one of the most influential, fastest thinking, and most out-of-the-box creative individuals in his generation, Feynman only received an IQ score of 125 after taking an IQ test at school.

Feynman is most known for his work on quantum electrodynamics, a scientific theory that describes how light interacts with matter and how charged particles interact with each other.

His work would lead him to receive both the Albert Einstein Award and the Nobel Prize in Physics.

He was a brilliant scientist who would become well-known throughout the world as one of the greatest scientists of his time.

Enjoy reading these Richard Feynman quotes.

Don’t forget to also check out these science quotes from some of the greatest minds ever known.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

Richard Feynman quotes about science

1. “If I could explain it to the average person, I wouldn’t have been worth the Nobel Prize.” — Richard Feynman

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2. “It doesn’t matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn’t matter how smart you are. If it doesn’t agree with experiment, it’s wrong.” — Richard Feynman

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3. “I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.” — Richard Feynman

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4. “Physics is to math what sex is to masturbation.” — Richard Feynman

5. “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.” — Richard Feynman

6. “Physics has a history of synthesizing many phenomena into a few theories.” — Richard Feynman

7. “Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.” — Richard Feynman

8. “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.” — Richard Feynman

9. “I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy.” — Richard Feynman

10. “If you thought that science was certain – well, that is just an error on your part.” — Richard Feynman

11. “The thing that doesn’t fit is the thing that’s the most interesting: the part that doesn’t go according to what you expected.” — Richard Feynman

12. “Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.” — Richard Feynman

13. “Philosophers say a great deal about what is absolutely necessary for science, and it is always, so far as one can see, rather naive, and probably wrong.” — Richard Feynman

14. “We have a habit in writing articles published in scientific journals to make the work as finished as possible, to cover up all the tracks, to not worry about the blind alleys or describe how you had the wrong idea first, and so on. So there isn’t any place to publish, in a dignified manner, what you actually did in order to get to do the work.” — Richard Feynman

15. “Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars mere globs of gas atoms. I, too, can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more?” — Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman quotes about learning

16. “Our responsibility is to do what we can, learn what we can, improve the solutions, and pass them on.” — Richard Feynman

17. “First figure out why you want the students to learn the subject and what you want them to know, and the method will result more or less by common sense.” — Richard Feynman

18. “We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.” — Richard Feynman

19. “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

20. “If you can’t explain something to a first-year student, then you haven’t really understood.” — Richard Feynman

21. “Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there.” — Richard Feynman

22. “In this age of specialization men who thoroughly know one field are often incompetent to discuss another.” — Richard Feynman

23. “I was born not knowing and have only had a little time to change that here and there.” — Richard Feynman

24. “I believe that a scientist looking at nonscientific problems is just as dumb as the next guy — and when he talks about a nonscientific matter, he will sound as naive as anyone untrained in the matter.” — Richard Feynman

25. “There is no harm in doubt and skepticism, for it is through these that new discoveries are made.” — Richard Feynman

What did you learn from these Richard Feynman quotes?

Richard Feynman was nothing short of a genius.

Known for his work in quantum electrodynamics, Feynman was also a prominent figure for the Manhattan Project during World War II.

The Manhattan Project resulted in the first atomic bomb and Feynman was the youngest group leader in the theoretical division.

Along with his work in electrodynamics, Feynman also contributed to the study of physics by inventing Feynman diagrams.

These diagrams significantly simplified calculations used in certain observations.

Feynman died of cancer in 1988.

At the time of his death, he was well-known in the scientific community, but not by the world at large.

After his death, he became a household name due to the popularity of his autobiographies, which were published close to his passing.

Did you enjoy these Richard Feynman quotes and sayings?

Which quote was your favorite?

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