Mar 23, 2025 07:52 PM
Demythologizing quantum history
https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/online...um-history
EXCERPTS: Despite efforts from historians to tell a nuanced story about the birth of modern quantum mechanics, the tale that’s seeped into the popular consciousness seems to stem from Heisenberg himself. [...] It’s not surprising that Heisenberg’s narrative took off. After all, what could be more poetic than a sensitive, Nobel-winning savant who, paralyzed by mere allergies, sought refuge on a remote, beautiful island, where he had a stroke of genius?
[...] It was only after other researchers recognized that Heisenberg’s clunky calculations could be elegantly rewritten using the mathematical language of matrices—a formalism unknown at the time to nearly all physicists, including Heisenberg—that his work began to assume the form in which it is taught today...
[...] Although textbooks and popular articles alike continue to repeat the Helgoland myth and perpetuate hero worship, the real story of the genesis of matrix mechanics in 1925 was one of collaboration and teamwork between Heisenberg, Born, Jordan, and even Pauli. That lesson holds true for the history of quantum mechanics writ large. Historians estimate that between 1925 and 1927, almost 200 papers were published—many of which were authored by long-forgotten individuals—that advanced the new theory and applied it to various problems in atomic dynamics.
[...] There are many other early quantum innovators who aren’t part of the standard canon. If we’re going to recognize the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics this year, let’s broaden the scope of our celebration... (MORE - details)
https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/online...um-history
EXCERPTS: Despite efforts from historians to tell a nuanced story about the birth of modern quantum mechanics, the tale that’s seeped into the popular consciousness seems to stem from Heisenberg himself. [...] It’s not surprising that Heisenberg’s narrative took off. After all, what could be more poetic than a sensitive, Nobel-winning savant who, paralyzed by mere allergies, sought refuge on a remote, beautiful island, where he had a stroke of genius?
[...] It was only after other researchers recognized that Heisenberg’s clunky calculations could be elegantly rewritten using the mathematical language of matrices—a formalism unknown at the time to nearly all physicists, including Heisenberg—that his work began to assume the form in which it is taught today...
[...] Although textbooks and popular articles alike continue to repeat the Helgoland myth and perpetuate hero worship, the real story of the genesis of matrix mechanics in 1925 was one of collaboration and teamwork between Heisenberg, Born, Jordan, and even Pauli. That lesson holds true for the history of quantum mechanics writ large. Historians estimate that between 1925 and 1927, almost 200 papers were published—many of which were authored by long-forgotten individuals—that advanced the new theory and applied it to various problems in atomic dynamics.
[...] There are many other early quantum innovators who aren’t part of the standard canon. If we’re going to recognize the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics this year, let’s broaden the scope of our celebration... (MORE - details)