The physicist Warner Heisenberg unveiled his famous "Principle of Uncertainty" to the world in 1926. He also received the Nobel Prize in 1932 for his contribution to quantum mechanics. But just a few years ago, in 1923, while pursuing a doctorate degree, our beloved scientist faced a very humiliating situation.
Heisenberg's doctoral dissertation at the University of Munich was attended by Wilhelm Wein, Arnold Summerfield and two other professors. Heisenberg easily answers doctoral research and math questions. But the real danger lies in the questions of experimental physics.
Heisenberg used the Farbi-Pert interferometer in the laboratory for research. But in the oral exam he failed to answer a common question about this device! Heisenberg was later asked a similar question about the microscope and the telescope, but could not answer. At the very last moment, Wilhelm Wein angrily asks Heisenberg how a storage battery works! Sadly, Heisenberg could not answer that question.
This whole thing was a huge shock to everyone on the board, as Heisenberg had a reputation as a gifted student. Even his doctorate was a predictable solution to a complex problem related to turbulence.
Wilhelm Wein wanted to defeat Heisenberg. But Heisenberg was given the highest score by the Summerfield service, passing Heisenberg in the third grade as an average. Summerfield was very satisfied with Heisenberg's theoretical knowledge.
That night a small party was held at the Summerfield home, courtesy of Heisenberg's doctoral degree. But Heisenberg, without attending the party, appeared on the midnight train, very early in the morning, in the office of Max Burn, another physicist. Max Bourne hired Heisenberg as his assistant.
The emotional Heisenberg told Bern about his embarrassing results and wanted to know if Max Bern would hire a student with bad results as his assistant!
To Max Byrne, too, the whole thing came as a shock. But he patiently listens to Heisenberg's unanswered questions and appoints Heisenberg as his assistant. Because Bern realized that Heisenberg was not particularly interested in experimentation, it was not possible to judge Heisenberg with these little questions.
In 1925, Heisenberg, Byrne and Pascal Jordan discovered matrix mechanics. Simply put, this is the way to give quantum physics a mathematical structure.
All is well, the last is good. But the nightmare of experimental physics haunted Heisenberg in later life as well. Heisenberg made a mistake in performing microscopic calculations in the interest of proving the famous uncertainty principle. The physicist Nils Bohr identified that defect, and the Copenhagen explanation of quantum mechanics was later based on this formula.
What can we learn from this incident?
Heisenberg was undoubtedly a genius. However, for the average science student like us, experiments and laboratories are very important for academics and careers. But sad to say, in our country's weak education system, the laboratory is not properly evaluated. Due to not doing many important tests of science properly in student condition, fear of science or love of science is created among the students!
I hope the people of the future will come forward to save the nation from this dungeon.
