In the early 20th century, a new generation of physicists, including Niels Bohr, Louis de Broglie, and Erwin Schrödinger, began to build on Planck's idea of quantization. They developed the principles of quantum mechanics, which describe the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic level.
We often think of theoretical physics as abstract philosophy. It is not.
When we look at the cosmos, we see missing mass. Galaxies spin so fast they should fly apart, but they don't. There is an invisible gravitational glue we call . Furthermore, the expansion of the universe is accelerating, not slowing down. Some unknown anti-gravitational force is pushing everything apart. We call this Dark Energy . modern physics
Despite the many successes of modern physics, there are still many open questions and areas of ongoing research. Some of the most pressing questions in modern physics include:
This leads to the most famous equation in history: ( E = mc^2 ). It states that energy and mass are two sides of the same coin. A tiny amount of mass contains an enormous amount of energy—the principle that powers the sun and atomic bombs. In the early 20th century, a new generation
While Einstein was looking at stars, other physicists were looking at atoms—and they were confused.
Light and electrons act like both waves and particles depending on how you measure them. It is not
We discovered that the universe does not operate like a Swiss watch. It operates like a fever dream. emerged from the rubble of classical certainties, gifting us two revolutionary frameworks: Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. These two pillars have not only rewritten the rules of reality but have given us lasers, GPS, nuclear power, and the microchip.
Ten years later, Einstein unveiled , which redefined gravity. Newton thought gravity was a force pulling objects together. Einstein proved gravity is geometry. Massive objects like the sun do not "pull" on the Earth; they warp the fabric of spacetime around them. The Earth is simply following the curved path in this warped fabric. This theory predicted black holes (regions where spacetime warps infinitely) and gravitational waves (ripples in the fabric of the universe), which were finally detected a century later in 2015.
An attempt to "quantize" spacetime itself, suggesting that space is made of discrete loops. 4. Dark Matter and Dark Energy