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The vain presumption of understanding everything can have no other basis than never having understood anything. For anyone who had ever experienced just once the perfect understanding of one single thing, and had truly tasted how knowledge is accomplished, would recognize that of the infinity of other truths he understands nothing.

Galileo Galilei

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Galileo Galilei
Age: 77 †
Born: 1564
Born: February 15
Died: 1642
Died: January 8
Astrologer
Astronomer
Engineer
Inventor
Mathematician
Philosopher
Physicist
Polymath
Scientist
University Teacher
Galileo
G. Galilei
Science
Recognize
Infinity
Anything
Understood
Understands
Ever
Truly
Truths
Everything
Single
Experienced
Nothing
Anyone
Accomplished
Thing
Understanding
Basis
Never
Knowledge
Vain
Tasted
Would
Perfect
Bases
Presumption

More quotes by Galileo Galilei

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They know that it is human nature to take up causes whereby a man may oppress his neighbor, no matter how unjustly. ... Hence they have had no trouble in finding men who would preach the damnability and heresy of the new doctrine from the very pulpit.
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By denying scientific principles, one may maintain any paradox.
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It is a beautiful and delightful sight to behold the body of the Moon.
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In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.
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Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh heavier than lead, and with their wings exceedingly small. He did not, and that ought to show something. It is only in order to shield your ignorance that you put the Lord at every turn to the refuge of a miracle.
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Nature is written in mathematical language.
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The Universe is a grand book which cannot be read until one first learns to comprehend the language and become familiar with the characters in which it is composed. It is written in the language of mathematics.
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Philosophy is written in that great book which ever lies before our eyes — I mean the universe — but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols, in which it is written.
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I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him.
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In time you may discover everything that can be discovered, and still your progress will only be progress away from humanity. The distance between you and them can one day become so great that your joyous cry over some new gain could be answered by an universal shriek of horror.
Galileo Galilei
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I truly believe the book of philosophy to be that which stands perpetually open before our eyes, though since it is written in characters different from those of our alphabet it cannot be read by everyone.
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Science proceeds more by what it has learned to ignore than what it takes into account.
Galileo Galilei
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And believe me, if I were again beginning my studies, I should follow the advice of Plato and start with the mathematical sciences, which proceed very cautiously and admit nothing as established until it has been rigorously demonstrated.
Galileo Galilei
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Philosophy itself cannot but benefit from our disputes, for if our conceptions prove true, new achievements will be made if false, their refutation will further confirm the original doctrines.
Galileo Galilei
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I do not know what to say in a case so surprising, so unlooked for and so novel.
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To be humane, we must ever be ready to pronounce that wise, ingenious and modest statement 'I do not know'.
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I would beg the wise and learned fathers [of the church] to consider with all diligence the difference which exists between matters of mere opinion and matters of demonstration.
Galileo Galilei
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It is very pious to say and prudent to affirm that the holy Bible can never speak untruth -- whenever its true meaning is understood. But I believe nobody will deny that it is often very abstruse, and may say things which are quite different from wha.
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Who would dare assert that we know all there is to be known?
Galileo Galilei
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They seemed to forget that the increase of known truths stimulates the investigation, establishment and growth of the arts not their dimination or destruction.
Galileo Galilei