In 1928, PHYSICIST and nobel prize winner Max. born
told a group of visitors to gottingen university
"physics , as we know it, will be over in six
months".His confidence was based on recent discovery
by DIRAC of the equation that governed the electron.It
was thought that a similar equation would govern the
proton , which was the only other particle known at
that time and that would be end of theoritical
physics. however the discovery of neutron and of
nuclear forces knocked that one on the head, too. my
question is how can it say that physics can be over
and how did neutron save the physics?
told a group of visitors to gottingen university
"physics , as we know it, will be over in six
months".His confidence was based on recent discovery
by DIRAC of the equation that governed the electron.It
was thought that a similar equation would govern the
proton , which was the only other particle known at
that time and that would be end of theoritical
physics. however the discovery of neutron and of
nuclear forces knocked that one on the head, too. my
question is how can it say that physics can be over
and how did neutron save the physics?
-
Of course Born was wrong, and would have been wrong even if the proton
were not a composite particle, since it would not be right to say,
even now, that we understand everything about quantum
electrodynamics. Physics will not be "over" anytime soon.
were not a composite particle, since it would not be right to say,
even now, that we understand everything about quantum
electrodynamics. Physics will not be "over" anytime soon.
-
The neutron wasn't "invented", it was discovered. At that time, there were only two known fundamental forces, gravity and electromagnetism. Eventually the development of gauge theory into quantum mechanics discovered two more forces, the strong and weak nuclear forces. Understanding and quantization of these forces, along with electromagnetism would take us to search for a "Theory of Everything" (TOE).
Presently, we have an Electroweak theory, with some understanding of how the strong nuclear force fits into the picture. The odd man out is gravity, which has not yet been incorporated into quantum theory. This search has lead to string theory, M-theory, and branes. It may lead to an understanding of how gravity works in a Multiverse. Maybe not. At any rate, it's all a far cry from the simpler days of '28.
Presently, we have an Electroweak theory, with some understanding of how the strong nuclear force fits into the picture. The odd man out is gravity, which has not yet been incorporated into quantum theory. This search has lead to string theory, M-theory, and branes. It may lead to an understanding of how gravity works in a Multiverse. Maybe not. At any rate, it's all a far cry from the simpler days of '28.