The Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook University has launched an exhibition titled “100 Years of Quantum Mechanics” to commemorate a century since the emergence of quantum theory. The exhibition opened on October 9 with a reception and a lecture by Giuseppe Mussardo, a theoretical physics professor from Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati in Trieste, Italy.
Organized by the Simons Center Art and Outreach Program and curated by Lorraine Walsh, the center’s art director, the event aligns with UNESCO’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. The exhibition will be open through January 16.
Walsh explained that the exhibition “explores the foundations of quantum theory and its evolution, as well as continued research.” It highlights key scientific milestones such as Max Planck’s blackbody radiation formula and contributions from Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Erwin Schrödinger. Walsh added: “It offers a snapshot on how quantum mechanics underlies much of modern physics that has led to a revolutionary understanding of matter, and a profound impact on technology and innovation.”
After the opening reception in the Simons Center lobby, attendees gathered for Mussardo’s lecture titled “God Plays Dice with the World: The Story of Quantum Mechanics.” Referencing his book by the same name and Einstein’s remarks about chance in quantum physics, Mussardo began: “Today we are talking about one of the most gripping stories ever told. It is a story of great ideas, fierce competition, and profound discoveries. The story of quantum mechanics is the great game of the 20th century.”
Mussardo discussed Max Planck’s introduction of what is now called Planck’s constant while seeking to describe blackbody radiation. He said: “The magic of this formula is incredible. Never in the history of science has such a simple interpolation had such an immense consequence in physics and philosophy.”
He continued by highlighting Einstein’s work in 1905 introducing light quanta—now known as photons—and explaining the photoelectric effect. According to Mussardo: “Einstein was both a bird and a frog,” quoting Freeman Dyson’s analogy. “He could see incredibly far, but he also worked with his hands in the mud — solving problems of heat, motion, and matter.”
Mussardo traced subsequent advances including Bohr’s atomic model, Sommerfeld’s refinements, Heisenberg’s mathematical foundations developed on Helgoland island in 1925—“Heisenberg said, ‘At first I was deeply alarmed. I had the feeling that through the surface of atomic phenomena I was looking into a strangely beautiful interior.’ That moment marked the birth of modern quantum theory,” Mussardo recounted.
The lecture covered Schrödinger’s wave equation which introduced another mathematical approach alongside Heisenberg’s matrices. Mussardo noted their rivalry: “Heisenberg found Schrödinger’s theory ‘repulsive and lacking civilization,’ while Schrödinger thought Heisenberg’s algebra was frighteningly abstract,” but pointed out both described reality using different languages.
Mussardo addressed foundational experiments like double-slit interference showing particles behaving as both waves and particles: “If you observe which slit the particle passes through, the interference pattern disappears,” he explained. “Reality changes with observation — that is the unsettling beauty of quantum mechanics.”
Concluding with Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle from 1927 defining limits to knowledge about particles’ position or momentum simultaneously—“This is what blurred our reality forever,” Mussardo stated.
In closing remarks to faculty members, students, scientists, artists and visitors present at Stony Brook University for this event Mussardo said: “Quantum mechanics is not just a chapter in science… It is a symphony, a story of human curiosity, creativity, and courage that continues to unfold.”
