Quantum Mechanics (Planck, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrodinger, 1900–1930)

Quantum mechanics emerged from a 30-year collective effort by Max Planck (1900, quantized energy), Niels Bohr (1913, atomic model), Werner Heisenberg (1927, uncertainty principle), and Erwin Schrodinger (1926, wave equation). Together they dismantled classical physics at the atomic scale, revealing a world governed by probability rather than certainty, where particles exist in superposition and measurement itself alters the system. Quantum mechanics is the most precisely tested theory in the history of science — predictions match experiments to 12 decimal places — and underpins lasers, semiconductors, MRI machines, and all modern electronics. Without quantum mechanics there is no computer, no internet, no smartphone.