Quantum Mechanics was Established a Century Ago, and Physicists are Marking the Milestone

A century ago, science embraced quantum principles. To commemorate this, physicists are hosting a year-long global celebration. In 1925, quantum mechanics began to take shape, offering a scientific theory that explains the counterintuitive behaviors of physics at microscopic scales. From that point onward, a series of groundbreaking papers established the theory’s foundation.

Since then, quantum physics has influenced numerous scientific fields, helping explain phenomena like the periodic table and stellar evolution, while also driving innovations such as lasers and smartphones.

Celebrating a Century of Quantum Progress

To mark a century of advancements, physicists are celebrating 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, a designation by the United Nations. The year-long celebration kicks off on February 4 with an opening ceremony in Paris, followed by events like scientific conferences, public lectures, and QuantumFest—a March event at the American Physical Society Global Physics Summit in Anaheim, California, offering hands-on activities and demonstrations.

Starting around 1900, various experiments and theoretical breakthroughs began to reveal fragments of the puzzling quantum world. In 1925, German physicist Werner Heisenberg’s paper, followed by contributions from Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger and others, transformed these pieces into a unified theory.

“We still use those equations from 1925 and ’26,” says theoretical physicist Ana María Cetto of Mexico’s National Autonomous University. “They’ve led to numerous theoretical, experimental, and technological breakthroughs.” The quantum revolution became a cornerstone of modern physics.

Quantum physicist Smitha Vishveshwara of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign highlights that, during those critical years, “the foundations of a completely new way of understanding nature were established.”

Key Insights of Quantum Mechanics

This new perspective revealed that matter absorbs energy in tiny, discrete packets, or quanta. It also uncovered the strange phenomenon of entanglement, where objects, seemingly unrelated, share a mysterious connection. Heisenberg’s 1927 uncertainty principle asserts that both speed and momentum of an object cannot be precisely determined at the same time.

Schrödinger’s 1935 cat thought experiment famously demonstrated quantum superposition, where a cat could be both dead and alive. Over the past century, these strange concepts have not only shaped science but also captured public imagination.

Science News spoke with Cetto and Vishveshwara, who are involved in this year’s celebrations. Their responses have been edited for clarity and length.

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