Hermann Bondi - Collected Quotes

"On the most usual assumption, the universe is homogeneous on the large scale, i. e. down to regions containing each an appreciable number of nebulae. The homogeneity assumption may then be put in the form: An observer situated in a nebula and moving with the nebula will observe the same properties of the universe as any other similarly situated observer at any time." (Sir Hermann Bondi, "Review of Cosmology," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1948)

"The human mind is conservative, and the scientist makes no exception from this rule. He will accept a new theory only if it stands the trial of many experimental tests." (Hermann Bondi, [Nobel lecture] 1955)

"A quantity like time, or any other physical measurement, does not exist in a completely abstract way. We find no sense in talking about something unless we specify how we measure it. It is the definition by the method of measuring a quantity that is the one sure way of avoiding talking nonsense [...]" (Sir Hermann Bondi, "Relativity and Common Sense: A New Approach to Einstein", 1964)

"Throughout science there is a constant alternation between periods when a particular subject is in a state of order, with all known data falling neatly into their places, and a state of puzzlement and confusion, when new observations throw all neatly arranged ideas into disarray." (Sir Hermann Bondi, "Astronomy and the Physical Sciences", 1966)

"A theory is scientific only if it can be disproved. But the moment you try to cover absolutely everything the chances are that you cover nothing." (Sir Hermann Bondi, "Assumption and Myth in Physical Theory", 1967)

"All science is full of statements where you put the best face on your ignorance, where you say: true enough, we know awfully little about this, but more or less irrespective of the stuff we don't know about, we can make certain useful deductions." (Sir Hermann Bondi, "Assumption and Myth in Physical Theory", 1967)

"Science is driven forward by unexpected and surprising results emerging from new experiments or by the appearance of contradictions between theories previously thought compatible. Solving such problems as they arise is of the essence of our work. Thus science is not something strange and odd but the most human of pursuits." (Sir Hermann Bondi, "The Philosopher of Science", Nature Vol.358 (6385), 1992)

"Time must never be thought of as pre-existing in any sense; it is a manufactured quantity." (Sir Hermann Bondi)

"To the nonscientist it must seem strange that, while the history of science appears to be a brilliant success story, from a logical point of view the stress is always on disproof and hence on the failure rather than on the confirmation of theories." (Sir Hermann Bondi)