Abstract Dear Chairmen Profs. Herschbach and Toennies, dear organizers Profs. Schmidt-Böcking and Friedrich, dear Colleagues, dear Ladies and Gentlemen. The occasion for our gathering today in this location is a truly historic one: the centenary of the first quantitative experiment with molecular beams, a technique that would enable, in 1922, the first convincing proof of quantum mechanics—the fundamental theory of light and matter—and to give due honor to the pioneer physicist who developed this technique: Otto Stern.
Mr Administrator,Dear colleagues,Ladies and gentlemen,“I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics”. This statement, made by physicist Richard Feynman, expresses a paradoxical truth about the scientific theory that revolutionised our understanding of Nature and made an extraordinary contribution to our means of acting on and gaining information about the world. In this lecture, I will discuss quantum physics with you by attempting to resolve this paradox. And if I don’...