NEWTON V PLANCK

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I don’t know what I may seem to the world. But as to myself, I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself now and then in finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than the ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

Isaac Newton A GIANTS WHO FOLLOWED  Quantum physics wasn't discovered all at once by a single person—it evolved over decades, shaped by the contributions of many brilliant minds. But here’s a breakdown of the key milestones and the scientists most associated with them: 🔹 Max Planck (1900) — Founder of Quantum Theory Discovery: Introduced the idea that energy is quantized (comes in discrete packets). Context: Solved the "blackbody radiation" problem by proposing that energy is emitted in units called quanta. Legacy: Planck’s constant (ℏ) and the birth of quantum mechanics. 🗣 “I regard the quantum of action as a purely formal assumption…” — Max Planck 🔹 Albert Einstein (1905) — Quantum Light (Photoelectric Effect) Contribution: Proposed that light itself is quantized—made of photons. Result: Explained the photoelectric effect, earning the 1921 Nobel Prize. Significance: Supported the idea that energy and matter both exhibit particle-like and wave-like behavior. 🔹 Niels Bohr (1913) — Quantum Model of the Atom Introduced the Bohr model, where electrons orbit the nucleus in discrete energy levels. Merged Planck’s quantum idea with atomic structure. Foundational in quantum jumps and spectral lines. 🔹 Werner Heisenberg (1925) — Matrix Mechanics Developed the first complete formulation of quantum mechanics. Introduced the uncertainty principle (1927): we can’t know both position and momentum exactly. 🔹 Erwin Schrödinger (1926) — Wave Mechanics Created the Schrödinger Equation, treating particles as wave functions. His view complemented and contrasted Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics. Famous for “Schrödinger’s cat” thought experiment. 🔹 Paul Dirac, Wolfgang Pauli, Max Born, and others: Refined the formalism, developed quantum field theory, spin, and probabilistic interpretations of measurement. 🧠 Summary: Who “Discovered” It? Person Contribution Year Max Planck Energy quantization 1900 Albert Einstein Photon theory 1905 Niels Bohr Atomic quantum model 1913 Heisenberg Matrix mechanics 1925 Schrödinger Wave mechanics 1926 Born, Dirac, etc. Interpretation & formalism 1920s–30s 🪐 Big Picture Quantum physics is not a discovery like a continent—it’s more like a new language of nature slowly uncovered, with each contributor adding a vital part to the grammar. Would you like to explore the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics (e.g., observer effect, uncertainty, non-duality)? A