"Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it."—Niels Bohr “I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics."—Richard Feynman Inside the Quantum World Science's most precise and influential tool Particles and waves, and their interactions and interrelationships Atoms, molecules and material structure Atomic, nuclear, particle, and condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, information and communication technology... Quantum Theory or Science (“Quantum Mechanics” is Imprecise) Probably the most successful of all scientific ● theories (in terms of the accuracy and breadth of its predictions, and its impact) – Calculations of the fine structure constant, α, within the context of quantum electrodynamics, agree with experiment to 0.32 parts per billion – Applications: transistor, laser, semiconductors, integrated circuits, diagnostics, optical communications, clocks, computers.... Fluorescing Ions in a Linear Trap Thirty-two ions, fluorescing under illumination by laser light in an electrodynamic trap Annenberg Foundation 2013. All rights reserved. Ultra-Cold Atoms Trapped in Standing Light Waves Neutral rubidium atoms in an optical lattice trap Annenberg Foundation 2013. All rights reserved. Newton Wasn't Perfect Didn't know high speeds or really small objects ● The Calculus is premised on continuous ● distributions On the microscopic level, nature is ● – quantized: separated into discrete quantities But he did claim that light was composed of particles... Newton's Particle Theory of Light Little particles, so tiny they (intersecting ● beams, for example) don't scatter one another Obey the same laws of physics as all other ● objects