Context

This line was spoken by Albert Einstein to William Hermanns and recorded in Hermanns' book, Einstein and the Poet: In Search of the Cosmic Man (1983).

In the book Einstein and the Poet, the poet is William Hermanns and the Einstein is, well, Albert Einstein. Who else could it be, one of the brothers from Einstein Bros. Bagels?

In this book, Hermanns catalogs many conversations between himself and the famous physicist from 1930 to 1955. In one conversation, Einstein tells Hermanns, "As I have said so many times, God doesn't play dice with the world."

Einstein is referring to an earlier statement he wrote about quantum mechanics (not a James Bond movie): "Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the 'old one.' I, at any rate, am convinced that He does not throw dice." Maybe he uses a spinner instead?

Where you've heard it

You've heard this when having a deep discussion of fate vs. free will—either that or quantum physics. And although Einstein thinks the god of Earth does not throw dice, the gods of Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld definitely do, perhaps in reference to this famous quote.

Additional Notable References:

• Steven Hawking discusses God and dice…
• …and so do other physics enthusiasts

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Unless it's a Hadron Collider launch party, any discussion of particle physics is going to make you look pretentious, but only if the other party-goers' eyes haven't entirely glazed over first.