“Those who are not shocked when they first come across
quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.”
― Niels Bohr
quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it.”
― Niels Bohr
The decade 1900-1910 marks the beginning of “Modern” Physics. Phenomenon such as Photoelectric Effect, Blackbody Radiation and Atomic Spectra which were discovered experimentally needed satisfactory theoretical explanations. The “Classical” Physics ruling the roost till then failed miserably in providing a theoretical basis for these phenomenon. It was time Physics underwent a major revamp and a complete makeover in its very core was due. Physics had to take a “Modern Look” and the people who could bring this change were deemed to be the greatest minds of all time. They had to convince the entire world to adopt these new ideas and disown the belief system that was strongly rooted in human minds from the time of Newton. Some of the geniuses who bore the responsibility of successfully carrying over this paradigm shift were Neils Bohr, Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Ernest Rutherford, Erwin Schrodinger, Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli.
What saddens me the most is the way in which modern physics is taught in the modern world. As a student of science I was taught modern physics which made up 33% of the syllabus as prescribed by the examination board. Though I could not understand the importance of learning it then, now I realize the pitiful state of the discourses that “taught” me Modern Physics. I am not commenting about the quality of the faculty who taught me, but pointing at the way the system made them teach it. Modern Physics was boiled down to a set of chapters which would make us score 33 out of 100 marks in the board exam.
Coming to one of the most successful hypotheses ever, “The Bohr’s atomic model”. All of us must remember them, or at least the students of the Science stream. It is taught in a way as though Bohr, keeping in mind that 100 years later his theory would be the chapter from which most of the important frequently asked questions were chosen, decided to make it as simple as possible and also intentionally made sure there were some drawbacks or de-merits to the theory, so that there could be an important two marks question too, viz. “Mention the de-merits of the Bohr’s theory”. Every time I come across this question, my blood boils. I have the following argument to make. When you visit a hospital to see a new born baby, it is a special event in your life, isn’t it? You are about to witness a beautiful creation of nature, so innocent, so undisturbed, so peaceful and yet so exciting. Are you there to enjoy the creation or to find out its drawbacks!! So go ahead and comment that the baby cannot talk, cannot sing, cannot dance let alone walk. What happens next? You are inviting a tight slap from the father and mother of the infant. For me “ Bohr’s theory” was a new born baby. It was a new creation. It did serve the purpose it was meant to serve with 100% success. And then the baby went on to grow into an adult, fulfilling other purposes. During the discourse of Modern Physics we tend to miss passing this vital information to our students, making it a dry subject. The very essence of its existence is diluted and the subject becomes uninteresting. We need to change the way we teach. For that the teachers need to appreciate the “Modernness” in Modern Physics first. We must read the original works of these masters and find out how and under what conditions the most intelligent theories of the Modern World took birth. Let us make “Modern Physics” modern.
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