Attempts to understand better the basic principles of quantum physics continue. Because of the epistemological problems involved, the process is often controversial. The present article attempts to derive quantum mechanics from simple nonquantal postulates.
SIXTY‐SEVEN YEARS AGO Max Planck initiated the quantum age, but its conceptual content still mystifies the student. And the efforts to explain the basic mathematical rules of the theory by developing them from certain fundamental principles (wave‐particle duality and complementarity) beg the question since those rules and principles themselves are of a quantum character. For this reason several theorists have gone one step further in their analysis and have established a system of axioms that do not include any quantum rule explicitly. However the axioms—I refer to the 14 theses of Fritz Bopp in the Heisenberg festschrift and those of Günther Ludwig in his Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik—are of a highly abstract mathematical kind and will hardly satisfy the physicist’s desire for an explanation of the bewildering quantum theory.
Technical knowledge and skills are only some of the considerations that managers have when hiring physical scientists. Soft skills, in particular communication, are also high on the list.
Research exchanges between US and Soviet scientists during the second half of the 20th century may be instructive for navigating today’s debates on scientific collaboration.
The Eisenhower administration dismissed the director of the National Bureau of Standards in 1953. Suspecting political interference with the agency’s research, scientists fought back—and won.
Alternative undergraduate physics courses expand access to students and address socioeconomic barriers that prevent many of them from entering physics and engineering fields. The courses also help all students develop quantitative skills.
October 01, 2025 12:00 AM
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Physics Today - The Week in Physics
The Week in Physics" is likely a reference to the regular updates or summaries of new physics research, such as those found in publications like Physics Today from AIP Publishing or on news aggregators like Phys.org.
