Science and Poetry

Submitted by cvining on

I do not see how a man can work at the frontiers of physics and write poetry at the same time. They are in opposition. In science you want to say something nobody knew before, in words which everyone can understand. In poetry you are bound to say something that everybody knows already in words that nobody can understand.

On learning, during the Manhattan Project, that Robert Oppenheimer was wrting poetry

Formatted Quote

"I do not see how a man can work at the frontiers of physics and write poetry at the same time. They are in opposition. In science you want to say something nobody knew before, in words which everyone can understand. In poetry you are bound to say something that everybody knows already in words that nobody can understand. "
   --Paul Dirac, On learning, during the Manhattan Project, that Robert Oppenheimer was wrting poetry