Mikhail Lomonosov Quotes

“Carolus V, Emperor of Rome, was wont to say that the Hispanic tongue was seemly for converse with God, the French with friends, the German with enemies, the Italian with the feminine sex.

Had he been skilled in (the knowledge of) Russian, he would doubtless have added that in the last named it behooves one to speak to all the above.”

“Geometry is the rules of all mental investigation.”

“I value one experiment higher than a thousand opinions born of the imagination.”

“Looking at the thunder machine which had been set up, I saw not the slightest indication of the presence of electricity. However, while they were putting the food on the table, I obtained extraordinary electric sparks from the wire.

My wife and others approached from it, for the reason that I wished to have witnesses see the various colors of fire about which the departed Professor Richmann used to argue with me.

Suddenly it thundered most violently at the exact time that I was holding my hand to the metal, and sparks crackled. All fled away from me, and my wife implored that I go away.

Curiosity kept me there two or three minutes more, until they told me that the soup was getting cold. By that time the force of electricity greatly subsided.

I had sat at table only a few minutes when the man servant of the departed Richmann suddenly opened the door, all in tears and out of breath from fear. I thought that some one had beaten him as he was on his way to me, but he said, with difficulty, that the professor had been injured by thunder…

Nonetheless, Mr. Richmann died a splendid death, fulfilling a duty of his profession.”

“Mathematics should be studied if only for that it puts the mind in order.”

“Nature is in some sense, the Gospel and preach loudly creative power, wisdom and greatness of God. And not only heaven, but bowels of the Earth declare the glory of God.”

“Thou, Chemistry, do penetrate
With vision keen the bowels of earth,
Reveal what treasure Russia hides there… ”

“Nature uncovers the inner secrets of nature in two ways: one by the force of bodies operating outside it; the other by the very movements of its innards.

The external actions are strong winds, rains, river currents, sea waves, ice, forest fires, floods; there is only one internal force: earthquake.”

“So many think incorrectly that everything was created by the Creator in the beginning as it is seen. That not only the mountains, valleys, and waters, but also various types of minerals occurred together with the rest of the world.

And therefore it is said that it is unnecessary to investigate the reasons why they differ in their internal properties and their locations. Such considerations are very dangerous for the growth of all the sciences, and hence for natural knowledge of the Earth, particularly the art of mining

Though it is very easy for those clever people to be philosophers, having learnt by heart the three words 'God so created' and to give them in reply in place of all reasons.”

“In general, the bigger a mountain the older it is. The biggest mountains were built before any others, because when they were built there was incomparably more flammable material within the Earth.

Over the many thousands of years that have passed, the quantity of flammable material has doubtless decreased.”