At the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, deep crisis of the physics promoted itself great revolution, thus the quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity emerged. The establishment of quantum theory, opened the people to know the microcosm, has laid the solid rationale for the physics and even the entire natural sciences development. No one branch of modern physics and correlated peripheral subjects are not based on quantum .Quantum theory are changing modern science and technology profoundly and influencing humanity's thought as well. Reviewing the development of the course, we can feel the far-reaching influence of the quantum theory on the people's epistemology and the world outlook.
At the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, deep crisis of the physics promoted itself great revolution, thus the quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity emerged. The establishment of quantum theory, opened the people to know the microcosm, has laid the solid rationale for the physics and even the entire natural sciences development. No one branch of modern physics and correlated peripheral subjects are not based on quantum .Quantum theory are changing modern science and technology profoundly and influencing humanity's thought as well. Reviewing the development of the course, we can feel the far-reaching influence of the quantum theory on the people's epistemology and the world outlook.
The quantum revolution in physics of the 20th century has completely transformed the nature not only of physics and science in general, but also of philosophy and our worldview. Quantum revolution began in the early 19th century with the discovery of ‘quantum’ (plural ‘quanta’) principally by Max Planck, and with theories and discoveries in the field of relativity, linked inseparably with the name of Albert Einstein. Max Planck came across the quanta when he was studying what is known as the ‘blackbody radiation’. In classical physics in particular and the classical world in general, there was no serious problems with objects, objectivity and ontology. In classical physics, particles and fields have an existence independent of the observer. In broader view, everything, the world, exists independent of the observer and of the consciousness. The first quantum-mechanical theories on electron in mid-1920s did not take into account the effect of velocity of light, and were therefore non-relativistic.
The first decades of the twentieth century were marked by two revolutionary scientific accomplishments, the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, with repercussions still felt today. Relativity theory and quantum mechanics became the two most important branches of “Modern Physics” that emerged as an alternative to “Classical Physics” (a term often used interchangeably with that of “Newtonian” or “Galilean” physics). No field of science (from astronomy to the life sciences), no field of knowledge (from philosophy to sociology), and no artistic practice (from architecture to the fine arts) was left untouched by these investigations into the nature of our physical universe.
Quantum mechanics is one of the great success stories of modern physics, making sense of the very small just as Einstein's theory of relativity made sense of the very large. But, for most students, the ideas that make quantum mechanics powerful can be confusing and counterintuitive. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Great Ideas in Science series provides a history of quantum mechanics from the early breakthroughs of Planck and Einstein, at the beginning of the 20th century, to the present frontiers of quantum computing and quantum gravity. The approach is entirely non-technical, and is aimed at the general reader who may not have much mathematical background but who has a strong curiosity about some of the most important developments in modern science. Quantum Mechanics: A Historical Perspectivetraces the history of this powerful theory, including: ; The early discoveries by Max Planck and Albert Einstein regarding the quantization of radiation ; The early quantum theory, including Neils Bohr's theory of the atom ; The birth of modern quantum mechanics through the work of Heisenberg, Schrodinger, Born, Dirac and others ; Applications of quantum mechanics in chemistry, nuclear physics, electronics, and many other areas ; Recent work in quantum computation and quantum information theory The book emphasizes the fact that despite the great success of quantum mechanics, many exciting intellectual frontiers remain open for further researchers to explore. It includes a glossary, a timeline, and a bibliography of accessible resources for further research.
At the end of the 19th century, with the development of Newton's classical mechanics and Maxwell's electromagnetism, a great number of individuals believed that the laws of physics had reached the point of perfection. Physicists like Pierre-Simon Laplace even thought that Newtonian mechanics could be used to calculate the future. However, the "dark clouds" such as the Michelson-Morley experiment and black body radiation demonstrated the flaws of the classical theory. With the efforts of quantum mechanics pioneers such as Planck, Einstein, Schrodinger, and Heisenberg, the discipline of quantum mechanics has gradually developed and has become the key to opening the door to the microscopic world. This paper demonstrates the cracks that occurred in classical physics at the end of the 19th century, and then illustrates the birth of the quantum mechanics and some of the most important concepts of it. Finally, some cutting-edge technologies related to quantum are introduced.
Abstract We present the current state of quantum mechanics, the prospects for its development, and the strengthening of its influence on scientific and technological progress. We look at quantum mechanics from four perspectives. The first perspective astonished physicists already with the advent of quantum mechanics—it is (1) a new way of looking at the world. Over the course of a hundred years of development, quantum mechanics has acquired three more perspectives: (2) an independent field of knowledge, (3) a new physical theory, and (4) a radical change in paradigm in the history of human thought. We have named the new paradigm “neo-Copenhagen” to emphasize both its development from and its continuity with the Copenhagen interpretation. We review the problems of quantum mechanics: how experimental research progresses, how basic concepts develop, how practical applications of paradoxical ideas expand. We indicate ways to solve three Ginzburg’s “great” problems. We formulate the features of the neo-Copenhagen paradigm that have already emerged. We present a look at the future of science and technology on the three time scales.
Quantum physics emerged from the failures of classical physics to explain many physical phenomena. Quantum physics has contributed immensely to science and underpinned modern technologies. The UN-designated International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (2025) recognizes the centenary of the birth of quantum mechanics as a complete theory and its profound contribution to the first quantum revolution, which has given us computers, mobile phones, lasers, GPS and MRI. Also a second quantum revolution is poised to provide unprecedented computing ability through quantum computers, secure communication with quantum cryptography and ultrasensitive quantum sensing devices for various diagnostic tools.