Copper wire curls around an uneven glass marble against glowing violet and orange.

Original artwork, not a still

Niels Bohr

Your theory is crazy--but not crazy enough to be true.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A backhanded verdict on a new idea. The theory is wild, the speaker says, but wildness alone isn't enough, and this one falls short of being strange enough to be true. It's a witty way of saying a bold guess still has to be bolder.

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