100 Years of Quantum Mechanics: From Uncertainty to Quantum Gravity and Beyond

Overview

This feature from New Scientist revisits the 100 year legacy of quantum mechanics, highlighting how uncertainty and probability became embedded in the fabric of nature, enabling technologies from semiconductors to MRI and quantum computers. It profiles five leading physicists and surveys debates on interpretation, quantum gravity, and the emergence of quantum technologies that are transforming science and industry.

Overview

This video examines one hundred years of quantum mechanics, tracing its shift from a purely theoretical framework to a broad, technology-driven discipline. It highlights foundational ideas such as the uncertainty principle and entanglement, and it surveys the historical debates about reality that still shape contemporary physics.

Historical Origins

The discussion contrasts Schrödinger and Heisenberg, showing how Schrödinger emphasized waves and Heisenberg matrix mechanics, while both contributed to a universal quantum description. The panel explains how the early flow of ideas gave rise to multiple interpretive schools, including Copenhagen, many worlds, and wave function epistemology, all of which make the same experimental predictions but offer different pictures of reality.

Interpretations and Ontology

The video outlines practical and philosophical perspectives on quantum theory. It covers the shut up and calculate approach, spontaneous collapse models, many worlds, and cubist epistemology, noting that no experiment to date has decisively settled these debates. The central message is that gravity and spacetime remain the frontier that might reveal which interpretation best reflects underlying physics.

Quantum Gravity and Unification

Interviews address the long-standing tension between quantum mechanics and general relativity. Topics include the quantum nature of time, the possibility that gravity is mediated by quantum entities like gravitons, and experiments aimed at inducing gravitational entanglement between masses. The speakers discuss how a quantum description of gravity might resolve inconsistencies and lead to a new, more comprehensive theory of the universe.

Technological Horizons

Near-term research focuses on spacetime probes, quantum computers, and the pursuit of hybrid models that integrate quantum theory with gravity. The discussion also considers new research directions in chemistry, biology, and neuroscience where quantum effects may illuminate fundamental processes, while asking how to scale quantum technologies for broad use without losing reliability or trust in results.

Art and Public Understanding

The program highlights collaborations between physicists and artists to communicate quantum ideas. Exhibitions and residencies illustrate how tangible experiences can convey the strange features of quantum reality, bridging the gap between abstract theory and human perception and inspiring new ways to teach and imagine the quantum world.

Future Outlook

Looking ahead, the video suggests that a deeper theory may emerge that unifies quantum mechanics with gravity, while still preserving core quantum phenomena such as entanglement and superposition. It envisions a future where quantum science expands from micro to macro domains, informs cosmology, and drives transformative technologies, all within a framework that remains engaging and accessible to a broad audience.