Original artwork, not a still
I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
A Nobel laureate admitting that the deepest theory in physics does not feel understandable, even to him. It invites people to stop demanding a comfortable picture and trust the maths, and it is also a favourite of anyone selling quantum mysticism, who tend to drop the context. The wry 'I think I can safely say' that opens it often gets lost in the retelling.
Context reviewed
In context
May contain spoilersShow the scene
Feynman said this in the Messenger Lectures he gave at Cornell University in 1964, seven talks that the BBC recorded and published as the book The Character of Physical Law in 1965. The line comes in chapter 6, 'Probability and Uncertainty: the Quantum Mechanical View of Nature', where he explained that quantum rules give odds rather than certain outcomes. He then told listeners to avoid asking how it can be like that, since nobody had escaped that blind alley.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Richard FeynmanThe Character of Physical Law entries, chapter 6Reference checked
- Wikipedia: The Character of Physical Lawopening sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
