Werner Heisenberg 1901 – 1976
Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist and one of the principal architects of quantum mechanics. His 1925 paper laid the foundation for matrix mechanics, and in 1927 he formulated the uncertainty principle that bears his name, establishing a fundamental limit on the joint determination of conjugate variables. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932. His Physics and Philosophy and Across the Frontiers situate the discoveries of twentieth-century physics in the wider history of Western thought. His role under the Third Reich and his postwar leadership of West German science remain matters of historical debate.
Key facts
- Nationality
- German
- Era
- Contemporary
- Movements
- Continental
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Werner Heisenberg:
“What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.”
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Attributed to Werner Heisenberg:
“Not only is the universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think.”
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Attributed to Werner Heisenberg:
“An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes that can be made in his subject and how to avoid them.”
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Attributed to Werner Heisenberg:
“The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.”
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Attributed to Werner Heisenberg:
“We have to remember that what we observe is not nature in itself, but nature subjected to our way of asking questions.”