Josiah Willard Gibbs

1839–1903 · American scientist

Topics: simplicity, physics

• We avoid the gravest difficulties when, giving up the attempt to frame hypotheses concerning the constitution of matter, we pursue statistical inquiries as a branch of rational mechanics.

  — Josiah Willard Gibbs

• One of the principal objects of theoretical research is to find the point of view from which the subject appears in the greatest simplicity.

  — Josiah Willard Gibbs