Schrodinger Born: Quantum Mechanics' Wave Equation Pioneer
Erwin Schrödinger developed the wave equation that is the foundation of quantum mechanics — the mathematical description of how subatomic particles behave. Then he spent years pointing out how absurd the implications were. The cat thought experiment, which he invented to mock the Copenhagen interpretation, is now explained to physics undergraduates as a serious concept. He was right that it was strange. He was wrong that the strangeness meant quantum mechanics was incomplete. He won the Nobel Prize in 1933 and shared the ceremony with Paul Dirac.
August 12, 1887
139 years ago
What Else Happened on August 12
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