If, then, a phenomenon admits of a complete mechanical explanation, it will admit of an infinity of others, that will render an account equally well of all the particulars revealed by experiment.
• Ch. XII: Optics and Electricity, as translated by George Bruce Halsted (1913)
• Ch. XII: Optics and Electricity, as translated by George Bruce Halsted (1913)
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Si donc un phénomène comporte une explication mécanique complète, il en comportera une infinité d’autres qui rendront également bien compte de toutes les particularités révélées par l’expérience.
— Henri Poincaré
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Si donc un phénomène comporte une explication mécanique complète, il en comportera une infinité d’autres qui rendront également bien compte de toutes les particularités révélées par l’expérience." in the context of "If, then, a phenomenon admits of a complete mechanical explanation, it will admit of an infinity of others, that will render an account equally well of all the particulars revealed by experiment.
• Ch. XII: Optics and Electricity, as translated by George Bruce Halsted (1913)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Henri Poincaré" (Quotes, Science and Hypothesis (1901): La Science et l'Hypothèse, English translation: Science and Hypothesis (1905), Dover abridged edition (1952) )
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré (29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912), generally known as Henri Poincaré, was one of France's greatest mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and a philosopher of science.
About Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré (29 April 1854 – 17 July 1912), generally known as Henri Poincaré, was one of France's greatest mathematicians and theoretical physicists, and a philosopher of science.
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