Otto Hahn (1879–1968) was a German chemist renowned for his pioneering work in nuclear chemistry, particularly his role in the discovery of nuclear fission. Collaborating with physicist Lise Meitner, Hahn conducted experiments that led to the splitting of the uranium atom, a breakthrough with profound implications for both scientific understanding and practical applications in nuclear energy and weaponry. Despite controversy surrounding the Nobel Prize in Chemistry he received in 1944 for his work on nuclear fission, which did not acknowledge Meitner’s contributions, Hahn’s research remains foundational in the field. Throughout his career, he made significant contributions to radiochemistry, discovering several radioactive isotopes and developing methods for their detection and analysis. Hahn’s legacy continues to influence nuclear physics and chemistry, highlighting the transformative impact of his discoveries on both scientific knowledge and societal developments in the 20th century.

Otto Hahn Quotes

1. “First we attacked the Russian soldiers with our gases, and then when we saw the poor fellows lying there, dying slowly, we tried to make breathing easier for them by using our own life-saving devices on them.”
— Otto Hahn

2. “I knew that the Hague Convention prohibited the use of poison in war. I didn’t know the details of the terms of the Convention, but I did know of that prohibition.”
— Otto Hahn

3. “At first the English were very surprised by our disregarding the Hague Convention. But from 1916 onward they used at least as much poison as we did.”
— Otto Hahn

4. “Every great discovery starts with a small idea.”
— Otto Hahn

5. “What matters cannot be measured.”
— Otto Hahn

6. “The most important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.”
— Otto Hahn

7. “Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture.”
— Otto Hahn

8. “Science is not a thing, it is a process.”
— Otto Hahn

9. “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”
— Otto Hahn

10. “I believe that little by little, the knowledge of science will spread among the people and that it will do them only good.”
— Otto Hahn

11. “A scientist is never too old to learn new things.”
— Otto Hahn

12. “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else does and thinking something different.”
— Otto Hahn

13. “Every kind of scientific knowledge, particularly in the field of natural sciences, helps us to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of God’s handiwork.”
— Otto Hahn

14. “I can never give up the conviction that surprise, the feeling of the unexpected, is the greatest of all pleasures.”
— Otto Hahn

15. “Whenever an extraordinary genius appears, one can be sure that he carries within himself the solution to some problem that has never been solved before.”
— Otto Hahn

16. “Science is a tremendous mutual enterprise. What we learn, we can share with others in the same field.”
— Otto Hahn

17. “Discovery is not the result of logical thought, although the result is bound to be logical.”
— Otto Hahn

18. “We can learn a lot from nature, if we just take the time to observe it.”
— Otto Hahn

19. “A scientist is quite as apt to be wrong as anyone else, just like in any other field.”
— Otto Hahn

20. “Some of the world’s greatest discoveries have been made by accident.”
— Otto Hahn

21. “Every new problem is a new beginning.”
— Otto Hahn

22. “You must never give up hope.”
— Otto Hahn

23. “The imagination is the most precious gift of nature.”
— Otto Hahn

24. “Science makes progress only when there is a desire to find the truth.”
— Otto Hahn

25. “The only way to get anywhere in science is to think of something nobody else has thought of before.”
— Otto Hahn

26. “A great discovery is made the moment one discovers how to use a piece of knowledge that had appeared to be unrelated.”
— Otto Hahn

27. “The power of human thought grows with practice.”
— Otto Hahn

28. “In business as in science, it is always a mistake to ignore the warnings of experience.”
— Otto Hahn

29. “The best way to solve a problem is to pursue it with enthusiasm.”
— Otto Hahn

30. “The more you learn, the easier it is to keep learning.”
— Otto Hahn

31. “Creativity is not the result of accident – it is the result of hard work.”
— Otto Hahn

32. “Success can be achieved in any field through hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck.”
— Otto Hahn

33. “The only way to learn something new is to explore the unknown.”
— Otto Hahn

34.“Curiosity is the engine of progress.”
— Otto Hahn

35. “Let us not forget: Nature guided and guarded all discoveries in the realm of science.”
— Otto Hahn

36.“In science, one should always have an open mind and be ready to admit when one is wrong.”
— Otto Hahn

37.“Science is not a race, it is a journey.”
— Otto Hahn

38. “The world would stop spinning if we stopped learning.”
— Otto Hahn