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And so in its actual procedure physics studies not these inscrutable qualities, but pointer-readings which we can observe, The readings, it is true, reflect the fluctuations of the world-qualities; but our exact knowledge is of the readings, not of the qualities. The former have as much resemblance to the latter as a telephone number has to a subscriber.

— Arthur Eddington The Domain of Physical Science (1925)

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More quotes by Arthur Eddington

Physics has in the main contented itself with studying the abridged edition of the book of nature.

Mind is the first and most direct thing in our experience; all else is remote inference.

Science and the Unseen World (1929)

It is impossible to trap modern physics into predicting anything with perfect determinism because it deals with probabilities from the outset.

New Pathways in Science (1935)

All change is relative. The universe is expanding relatively to our common material standards; our material standards are shrinking relatively to the size of the universe.

The Expanding Universe (1933)

The whole subject-matter of exact science consists of pointer readings and similar indications.

The Nature of the Physical World (1928)

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