Heisenberg

Quantum mechanics, formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1925, belongs among the greatest achievements of physics. "Fundamental Physics: Heisenberg and Beyond" combines personal tributes to Werner Heisenberg with assessments of his impact on current and future developments in physics. The first part presents two essays commemorating Werner Heisenberg's 100th birthday, and these are complemented by a short and nicely illustrated biographical note in the appendix. In the second part, incisive articles by ten world-leading scientists explain important developments in fundamental physics to a broader community of interested scientists.

Quantum mechanics, discovered by Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger in 1925-1926, is famous for its radical implications for our conception of physics and for our view of human knowledge in general. While these implications have been seen as scientifically productive and intellectually liberating to some, Niels Bohr and Heisenberg, among them, they have been troublesome to many others, including Schrödinger and, most famously, Albert Einstein. The situation led to the intense debate that started in the wake of its discovery and has continued into our own time, with no end appearing to be in sight.

Mit seiner Entdeckung, dass sich Messwerte komplementärer Größen in der mikroskopischen Welt nicht beliebig genau bestimmen lassen, durchschnitt Werner Heisenberg den Gordischen Knoten zur Vollendung der von Planck, Einstein und anderen entwickelten Quantentheorie und eröffnete damit ein neues „goldenes Zeitalter" in der Physik des 20. Jahrhunderts.