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Lars Onsager Quotes

1903–1976 United States

Lars Onsager (November 27, 1903 – October 5, 1976) was an American physical chemist and theoretical physicist. He held the Gibbs Professorship of Theoretical Chemistry at Yale University.

United States
Chemists
Engineers
Nobel laureates
Physicists

Random Lars Onsager quote

3 quotes

Of the electroencephalogram he once remarked: "It is like trying to discover how the telephone system works by measuring the fluctuations in the electric power used by the telephone company."

On a new derivation of Birkhoff's strong ergodic hypothesis he once remarked in exasperation: "To be any more immaculate they will have to begin sterilizing the paper as well as the theorem !"

There's a time to soar like an eagle and a time to burrow like a worm. It takes a pretty sharp cookie to know when to shed the feathers and (long pause) to begin munching the humus! (characteristic Onsager giggle).

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Lars Onsager (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.