Prologue

NARRATOR 1: The past 100 years has been marked by changes. Changes in our maps. Changes in our

understanding of each other. Changes in our politics and beliefs. The human capacity to explore and

question had never been challenged as it was during those times. Some of the greatest minds worked hand

in hand to bring answers to questions such as war and power. These names are etched in the minds of

everyone that has studied history.

NARRATOR 2: And while these contributions are important, there have never been minds who were not

afraid to ask questions…. and no question seemed to have a more serious implication than in the world of

physics. In this world, a revolution happened that shook the very foundational theory of the science that

had stood for more than 200 years. Known facts were challenged. Lifelong works were shown to have

fallacies. Answers that were once thought to be complete became scrutinized.

NARRATOR 1: Most revolutionary, was the idea that perhaps there were no answers or they were

simply unanswerable. These debates brought together great minds from across the globe…. from people

of completely different walks of life. During one of the most destructive periods in history,

revolutionaries of their field could come together for brief instances and change the understanding of the

world and how it worked. In the words of an icon of a different field, “there are decades where nothing

happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” These debates would only validate this claim.

NARRATOR 2: Yes, the 20th century was a tumultuous time for physicists. Centuries-old theories were

overturned, first by Einstein’s discovery of special and general relativity between 1905 and 1915; then by

the development of quantum theory between 1901 and the mid-20s; and again, by quantum

electrodynamics during 1940s. These theories shook the foundation laid by the two greatest scientific

minds in history - Sir Isaac Newton and James Maxwell. From the works of Tycho and his student

Kepler, Isaac Newton became inspired created new laws of motion along with the universal law of

gravity. Another collection of great minds…. Faraday, Hertz, and Lorentz inspired James Maxwell’s

equation that allowed for the electric field, magnetic fields, and light to be consolidated into one set of

equations. With both the works of Newton and Maxwell, science entered its golden age. Physicist

believed they had conquered nature itself, and could predict anything.

NARRATOR 1:But physics itself refused to be tamed; there were unknowable things, huge

contradictions, that a few scientists refused to let be glossed over, ignored. They worked tirelessly to

explore, to discover. To chase their curiosity, which, in the case of Schrodinger, may have actually killed

the cat. They continued to question these theories, questioning black body radiation or radiations coming

from a toaster or a fireplace which involved interactions between matter and electromagnetic waves. In

the instance of black body radiation, how was Newton’s theory and Maxwell’s theory both applicable?

Then an even more bizarre puzzle was observed: per classical physics, the atom is not stable. That meant

that classical physics was unable to explain our existence. Theories that particles are waves and waves are

particles brought a tsunami to the classical world with major questions to be answered. This storm of old

truths being challenged and new ideas emerging set the stage for a revolution in physics. This revolution

did not take place over night and remains contested to this very day.

Act 1 - Scene 1

Planck is holding up a light bulb, pacing back and forth. In the background is his board with equations and black body radiation curve.

PLANCK: I don’t get it. Why doesn’t this light bulb burn blue? Shouldn’t it? According to classical

theory, it should, but it doesn’t. These calculations must be wrong! Maxwell must be wrong !!!

Draws curves on the blackboard. Circles low wavelength ( high frequency ) part.

PLANCK: This disagreement between theory and experiment is a catastrophe! An Ultraviolet

Catastrophe!!

He circles that part of the graph and puts a question mark there.

PLANCK: Time to start over. I need a new perspective to figure out what’s really going on! Since higher

frequency light requires a higher expenditure of energy, then it seems that lower frequency light would

shine much easier. Is there a correlation between energy and frequency?

Planks begins to write a new equation, E is proportional to f, 2f, 3f…….

PLANCK: But it is absurd —- It contradicts Maxwell’s theory – where energy depends upon amplitude,

not on frequency... WHAT IS GOING ON! And, this energy comes in lumps -- it is quantized… Light

flows in chunks of energy-- very very very strange. Also I need a new constant :

Planks changes his equation to E=hf, 2hf, 3hf…

PLANCK: YES YES it works… YES YES it does.. I can explain the black body curve if I choose this h to

be a tiny number h = 6.6 multiplied by 10^(-34) But, what is this constant h anyway??? Perhaps it is

related to speed of light c or Newton’s gravitational constant G!!!

PLANCK: No, NO, —Does not work... Does not work...

I cannot determine h from any constants that we know from classical physics...

Bizarre, really bizarre —- it is shocking, it is absurd — What does it mean ??? ” —–

ALBERT! GET IN HERE!

The Gang Solves the Quantum Mystery.

Act 1- Scene 2

PLANCK: Alright everyone quiet down. Ladies and gentleman, I’m here today to talk to you about

something that has been an open challenge for some time now. The question is Black body radiation.

Audience gasps

PLANCK: NOW WAIT! I have a theory, a theory that can explain this curve. If I assume that the energy

emitted by a body is proportional to the frequency of the radiation, AND, if we assume that energy

flows as pockets of energy-- that is, energy radiated by hot objects is quantized…. That is all!!!

Plank sits down and closes his eyes with hands over his head.

Audience members whisper

AUDIENCE MEMBER: This radiation law is some mathematical formula that just happened to fit the

data... There is NOTHING more to it, there is NO meaning that the radiation coming from the cavity has

its energy come in lumps and is proportional to the frequency. Energy depends upon the amplitude of the

wave and NOT its frequency. I do not believe a word on this. NOT A WORD! It is just a coincidence.

Act 1 - Scene 3

NARRATOR 2: In September of 1909, Planck and Einstein meet at a conference organized by Planck, in

Salzburg.

PLANCK: It is a great honor for me to present Albert Einstein — the founder of theory of Relativity —

Big applause from the audience.

EINSTEIN: Thank you Professor Planck for the invitation and opportunity to speak to such a

distinguished group of scientists —- I understand you are expecting me to talk about relativity.

But Sorry gentleman, the title of my talk is —– The Nature and Constitution of Radiation.

This is a very very important problem —– I think everybody should be working on it. My work is

inspired by Planck’s theory of black body radiation. —— I strongly believe that light has particle nature

— Yes, unlike what we know from Maxwell, what I am proposing is that electromagnetic radiations

consists of pockets of energy —- light quanta –they are particles—photons —-

Planck interrupts

PLANCK: I strongly object to this – We are not ready to give up Maxwell’s theory.

EINSTEIN: Yes, it does sound ridiculous! But it’s….. genius… Instead of a constant stream, light flows

as several quanta.... This changes everything. It’s as if the ground has been pulled out from under me.

PLANCK: What are you saying...?

EINSTEIN: Listen, Max, light has a particle-like nature. Electromagnetic radiations consist of pockets of

energy —- light quanta. Photons! You’ve inspired me with your theory of black body radiation! Yes, I

think that’s it… Everyone needs to know about this.

NARRATOR 1: Both Einstein and Planck hear about some breakthrough news from Copenhagen.

(Different location) Bohr at studying his blackboard equations.

BOHR: The only way I can make sense out of the planetary model of the atom is to assume that electrons

do their laps around the nucleus only at some very special orbits. At these orbits, the circling electrons do

not lose energy, in sharp contrast to Maxwell’s theory. Light is emitted only when electrons jump from

one orbit to the other.

EINSTEIN: My goodness…... These are my quanta!

Act 1 - Scene 4

NARRATOR 2: June 1913: Prussian Academy of Sciences.

PLANCK: I strongly beg all of you to consider Albert Einstein for the membership of the Prussian

Academy of Sciences. This institution has existed since the 1700s and welcomes great minds such as

Hermann von Helmholtz, Ferdinand Georg Frobenius and even myself. As we all know this great

accomplishment to physics – his theory of special and general relativity, I want to apologize on behalf of

this young brilliant scientist in regards for his “theory of the nature of radiation”. I request that it should

not be held against him, for without occasional risks, no genuine innovation can be accomplished, even in

exact sciences. I ask instead of condemning Einstein for his mistake that we honor the courage to

question.

NARRATOR 2: Einstein was awarded this membership in 1914.

Planck exits; Maurice and Louis De Broglie Enter

MAURICE: Louis, please, please, please, take a look at the latest experiments by Compton. It beautifully

confirms particle picture of radiation.

Compton playing with balls

COMPTON: Well that’s it! This two billiard collision – It is just like electron colliding with light particle – if

light is a particle.— a photon. Just like in two billiard collision, photon can gain or lose energy and, energy

is related to frequency -- E=hf!

So as the energy of a photon changes, so does its frequency… Waa

And all this completely agrees with what I see in my experiment. This is incredible.. Light is particle that has

both energy and momentum.

Louis sits down, closes his eyes. His brother waits for a second for him to respond, but Louis

is in state of mediation, thinking deeply – and Maurice leaves. Louis has a Eureka moment—–bangs

on his table.

LOUIS: If Einstein’s theory of radiation is correct, that means that the radiations can have both particles

and wave properties. Now if radiations can have particle characteristics, then particles must also have

wave characteristics.

He goes to the blackboard and writes down the E = hf

LOUIS: This means f= E/h. So the energy of a particle determines the frequency of the matter

wave and —let us see— I think the wavelength of the particle has to be related to its

momentum…. yes, it should be like a wavelength = h /p

writes equation on the board

LOUIS: What kind of wave is associated with matter? What is waving? Some mysterious

internal periodic process going on inside the particle.

He comes back to table, sits down

LOUIS: Let me put all this in my thesis-- yes, yes — my theory can be tested... If electrons have wave

properties, they should show interference —– Oh my god...

NARRATOR2: De Broglie's theory was confirmed in 1926 by Clinton Davison from Bell labs. George

Thompson from Aberdeen England- it is interesting that J.J. Thompson, father of George Thompson

proved that electron was a particle and his son proves that electron is a wave both-received Nobel Prizes

for their discoveries.

Act 2 - Scene 1

NARRATOR 1: Heisenberg has been working under Bohr.

Heisenberg and Pauli Enter. Both go to the blackboard ( different black boards ) and start

drawing Bohr orbits...pondering.

PAULI: The very idea of electrons going in circular orbits is a hangover from classical

physics.

HEISENBERG: We cannot measure and see these Bohr orbits and therefore, a theory cannot be based on

that... We should dispense with any concept such as orbits that cannot be directly measured. What can be

measured? We know that we can measure radiations emitted and absorbed by hydrogen atoms

that result from quantum jumps, made by electrons changing their orbits in atoms. So we should

turn our attention on the testable part of the atom, namely the spectral lines, emitted or absorbed.

Heisenberg starts writing matrices on blackboard.

HEISENBERG: Let us see- Here is an array- mathematicians call it a matrix.

1,1 --- n=1

2,2 --- n=2 ….

Diagonal entries correspond to Bohr’s orbits. Off-diagonals terms describe transitions

2,1--- e- jumps from n=2 to n=1 This term gives us the probability for e- to jump from 2---1 and emit a

photon. These probabilities are what my theory can calculate.

No need to worry about the orbits !!! Just transition probabilities. PERFECT !!!

Pauli sitting on his desk and writing.

PAULI: How wonderful. After 40 pages of equations I see Bohr energy levels — what magic! The

Heisenberg matrix theory gives the same energy levels as the Bohr model!

Act 2 - Scene 2

Schrodinger is on vacation, sitting on a beach chair relaxing and reading de Broglies Ph.D

thesis.... He suddenly gets very agitated...

SCHRODINGER: I think I know how to generalize de Broglie’s theory!!! Particles act like waves and

must be described by a wave function —– the equation satisfied must be something like this —

He writes his equation

SCHRODINGER: Wait a minute. It gives the same energy spectrum as the Bohr model … Yes, Yes, It is

right

But, It can’t be right! But I do not believe in it. I wish I never wrote it down… This complex wave

function describing an electron. WHAT IS IT… What does it mean …??

NARRATOR 1: In 1925, There was no proper quantum theory. In 1926, there were two quantum theories

– Heisenberg theory and Schrodinger theory. Both predicted same energy levels for hydrogen atoms that

were predicted by Bohr and has been verified experimentally.

Act 3 - Final Scene

NARRATOR 2: The celebration of the Quantum Revolution. All scientists gather to answer questions

from the general public.

CHAIRMAN: Welcome to the quantum world. Thank you all for coming here to celebrate the conclusion

of this great Scientific revolution – a revolution that started with Planck. Yes, it has transformed the science

in a way that has not happened since Newton’s time and so we are entering a new era, a very very exciting

time for us. The last twenty-five years have been one of the most inspiring periods of scientific

evolution. This quarter-century has had many revolutionaries of extraordinary brilliance and

imagination. Today, we are honored to have these pioneers in this Hall. They have graciously

agreed to talk to all of you and answer your questions.

Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you Max Planck and Albert Einstein who are the Haydn and Mozart of the

quantum world. Neils Bohr, Dirac, and Louis De Broglie, who kicked of the quantum mechanics, Schrodinger

and Heisenberg, the Founders of Quantum Mechanics, and Max Born who brought meaning to abstract ideas

of Schrodinger and Heisenberg and finally Pauli who explained the periodic table.

Scientists enter and there is a big applause. Everyone is raising hand.

CHAIRMAN: I see lot of excitement in the room and we are ready for questions. Let us begin with this

gentleman.

Points to one of the audience.

AUSTIN: My question is for Professor Bohr. What made you propose this strange idea that electrons

occupy only certain discrete orbits?

BOHR: Well you see this earth, planets, this universe, they have been around for millions of years.

I am here, you are here – that means that atoms are stable. Therefore, the classical physics that predicts

that the atom is unstable cannot be right. Just us face it, it is what it is.. we have to abandon Newtonian

physics. And now we have this beautiful spectrum from hydrogen showing discrete lines. That its very

special color or frequencies are emitted by the hydrogen atom.

Goes to the board to explain it

BOHR: So I just made up a model that will demand that atom is stable and emits only few special colors.

That’s it. Call it magic or my good luck, my predictions agreed with the experimental data which is the

ultimate test of the theory.

Applause

CHAIRMAN: Thank you Professor Bohr for such a nice explanation of your revolutionary theory. Let us

move on to the next question

DIRECTOR: Professor de-Broglie, I have a question for you. I am really puzzled by your wave-particle

duality. My question is, what made you propose that a particle should be associated with wave length and

frequency and a wave should have momentum?

LOUIS: It was a sudden wakening call or you may call my Eureka moment. I have been puzzled by

Einstein’s theory that says energy associated with light depends upon its color or saying another way,

energy of a wave depends upon its frequency. So with every frequency, there is a pocket of energy..

Pocket of energy implies that a wave is really a particle. So, if a wave acts like a particle, a particle must

act like a wave. There is really no difference between an electron and a photon. Both are pockets of

energy and E = hf, implies that with every pocket of energy there is a frequency, that is, it acts like a

wave. In summary, nature is very simple – at the deepest fundamental level, there is absolutely NO

distinction between particles and waves.

Everyone claps

CHAIRMAN: Thanks Professor. Let us move on to the next question.

Points towards the next waving hand.

ASIA: I have a question for Professor Schrodinger. Could you please write down your equation on the

board and explain every term and their significance?

SCHRODINGER: Yes, perfect way to begin.

Writes his equation on the board.

SCHRODINGER: The first thing you notice is this ”i” — something you have NEVER seen in classical

physics. This ”i” is a complex number. If you square it, you get (-1). As you know, there are two kinds of

real numbers: positive and negative. if you multiply a number by itself, positive and negative number, you

always get a positive number. “ I” is a weird kind of number, called an imaginary number, if you square

it, you get negative number. Such numbers are not physical in the sense that you cannot identify any

actual thing with that number. So this ”i” already tells you that my equation is ”nutty” — it’s weird — de

Broglie waves are not waves like sound or electromagnetic, but something different. And this constant

hbar: I should say, it is the heart and soul of quantum physics. Every quantum equation has hbar, it does

not exist in classical physics. We owe it to Professor Planck who found that quantum effects require a

new constant. It cannot be expressed in terms of constants we know from Newtonian science or

Maxwell’s theory like speed of light, gravitational constant. Let me tell you something: the day someone

discovers a new physical constant, we will have another revolution

Now this m in my equation is the mass of the particle for which I am writing the equation. The time

derivative in the equation tells you how de Broglie wave, or what may be called matter wave, changes

with time – Similarly, space derivative tell us how the wave changes at different points in space. The time

derivative in the equation tells you how de Broglie wave, or what may be called matter wave, changes

with time – Similarly, space derivative tell us how wave changes at different points in space. This V

represents the potential that describes all the forces acting on the particle. NOW, let me get to the most

important thing, the wave function — which has to be complex, due to this ”i” that I mentioned few

minutes ago -You know, when I wrote my equation, I had NO clue what Psi is supposed to mean

Absolutely NONE — Thanks to Max Born, we now have the physical meaning of Psi and also the

physical meaning of the whole equation. So why don’t we have Professor Max Born explain this

discovery.

Points towards Max Born. Born comes to the center.

BORN: In Schrodinger theory, Psi was a complex quantity. We do not know what kind of wave function

it is and what kind of wave is associated with particles such as electrons, however, if you square it (called

modulus square for complex number), it tells the probability. Let me give an example.

Goes to the board and draws some waves

BORN: For example, if you put an electron in a box, there are only few possibilities about the relation

between the size of the box and the wave length.

Draws half-wave, full wave on the board.

BORN: So we can fit half wave, full wave, three half waves in a box. Not quarter wave, or two-third of a

wave.

These waves are probability waves. See this probability vanishing as we approach the edge of the box.

Yes, that means particle cannot exist beyond the box… the particle is in the box

And similarly, the Bohr orbits imply that only those orbits are allowed if the integer number of

wavelengths can fit into it. I hope that clarifies.

Everyone claps

CHAIRMAN: Thank you Professor Schrodinger and Professor Born. Next question.

CHRIS: I have a question for Professor Heisenberg. I understand that yours and Professor Schrodinger’s

theories are very different, but they give same answer, can you explain your theory?

HEISENBERG: Since Schrodinger theory has some resemblance to a wave equation, it is somewhat

easier to understand. Mine is more abstract, but let me give you a visual picture of my theory.

Goes to the blackboard and draws a matrix.

HEISENBERG: I describe my theory in terms of an array – a matrix. Diagonal parts of this matrix

represent Bohr orbits. And, If you look at, say, 2nd row and 1st column, it gives you the probability to

jump from 2nd orbit to the first orbit. So, the theory is formulated in terms of matrices…

CHRIS: Alright I understand that matrices are the key characteristics of your theory. How do we

understand the origin of your uncertainty principle? Do matrices have something to do with it?

HEISENBERG: Now that is a brilliant question. You see, in my theory, position, momentum, everything

is a matrix; Now unlike two numbers A and B which commute, that is 2x3 = 3x2, or in general AB = BA.

If A and B are matrices, they do not – That is A B is not equal to B A. This means that my position and

momentum are not ordinary quantities and that is what leads to uncertainty principle. I hope you get the

idea.

Everyone claps

CHAIRMAN: Thanks – this is just beautiful. We are now beginning to see why Quantum science is so

weird – In Schrodinger theory, it is due to the probability description, in Heisenberg theory, everything is

given by matrices, which do not commute – What is so magical here is that two theories give same

answer, for example for quantized energy of the hydrogen atom. Next question please.

AARON S: My question is for Professor Dirac. Could you explain your principle of mathematical beauty

and why you insist on it?

DIRAC: I had the belief that Bohr orbits would provide the clue to understanding atomic events. That was

a mistaken belief. I found out that my own basic belief was wrong and I had to go over to quite a new line

of thinking. I had to have some more general basis for my work, and the only reliable basis I could think

of, the only basis which was sufficiently general, so as to secure me from making the same mistake again,

was to set up a principle of mathematical beauty: to say that we don’t really know what the basic

equations of physics are, but they have to have great mathematical beauty. We must insist on this, and

that is the only feature of the equations that we can have confidence in and insist on. How can one make

beauty a fundamental test for the correctness of a physical theory? Well, it is quite clear that beauty does

depend on one’s culture and upbringing for certain kinds of beauty, pictures, literature, poetry and so on

.... But mathematical beauty is of rather a different kind. I should say perhaps it is of a completely

different kind and transcends these personal factors. It is the same in all countries and at all periods of

time. Well, that is the essence of what I wanted to tell you. In fact one can feel so strongly about these

things, that when an experimental result turns up which is not in agreement with one’s beliefs, one may

perhaps make the prediction that the experimental result is wrong and that the experimenters will correct

it after a while. Of course one must not be too obstinate over these matters, but still one must sometimes

be bold.

Massive applause.

CHAIRMAN: Thank you Prof Dirac. This is so beautiful.

ALEJANDRA: My question is for Prof Einstein. Could you tell us why you’re still quite skeptical about

quantum theory? In-spite of its many successes like the energy spectrum of hydrogen, you are refusing to

endorse the quantum theory. Why?

EINSTEIN: I do not believe that god is playing dice.. Now you have heard of the two-hole

experiment. Which hole the electron goes through, the fact that the hole through which the

electron goes is determined by the rolling of the dice, this does not appeal to me.. I want to

believe that the moon is always there whether I look at it or not, but in this two-hole experiment,

if I try to look at the electron, it changes everything. That is absurd, there must be some way of

knowing.. some hidden variables I am working on the theory of hidden variables and you may

have heard of my EPR paradox — This spooky action at a distance...

BOHR: But Mr. Einstein, there is no point in worrying about things we cannot measure.

HEISENBERG: That is precisely the point, I do not care whether Bohr orbits exist or not, since there is

NO way of measuring or seeing them, so the theory should not be built on these classical pillars.

PAULI: Yes, it is spooky and absurd and let me tell you something. In 1925, I considered quitting physics

because all these ideas made no sense. Physics seemed too difficult, I wished of becoming film comedian.

Thank god I hung in there. As you know, exclusion principle is the backbone of periodic table. All that

stuff about identical particles, It’s Alice in wonderland.

SCHRODINGER: I am sorry but I do not agree you with gentleman. You know my cat experiment.

How do you explain the possibility that a cat can exist in a state that is alive and dead? I do not buy

the idea that nature is unpredictable.

PLANCK: I am not completely ready to give up Maxwell’s theory and say that light is a particle!

Everyone starts shouting

CHAIRMAN: So here you see ladies and gentleman. we need another revolution... Before we conclude

today’s session, I have a surprise for you all. Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you a magician of

the scientific world, a great teacher, a man of many talents, revered and adored by many. Let us welcome

Richard Feynman.

Big applause

CHAIRMAN: Professor Feynman will entertain few questions.

AUSTIN: Professor Feynman, could you tell us why do you say no one understands quantum

mechanics?

FEYNMAN: The problem is, quantum physics is highly non-intuitive. As you may know, all attempts to

understand the motion of electrons going around the nucleus – as planets go around the sun, using

Newton’s laws of motion, failed. They failed because electrons being charged radiate energy as it circles

around a nucleus, making the atom unstable. Replacing Newton’s laws with laws of quantum physics,

such as the Schrodinger equation, took a long time because phenomena at atomic scales were quite

strange. One had to lose one’s common sense in order to perceive what was happening. However, the

theory looked cockeyed, it explained the atomic spectrum. It explained the wave pattern in the two-hole

experiment with the electrons, even though one does not know which hole the electron passes through.

So even to my graduate students, I tell them you are not going to understand quantum physics. It is my

task to convince you not to turn away because you don’t understand it. You see, my students don’t

understand it because I don’t understand it. No-body does.

Applause

DIRECTOR: Are you skeptical about laws of quantum physics?

FEYNMAN: Do I believe in quantum physics? Yes I do. You believe in scientific theories if it agrees

with experiments. Remember, it doesn’t matter how beautiful your theory is, it does not matter how smart

you are. If your theory doesn’t agree with the experiment, it’s wrong. Quantum physics

has been tested by numerous experiments for almost a century and there is no violation of the theory. So,

no matter how peculiar your theory is, how crazy, absurd and incomprehensible the scientific theory is,

like wave-particle duality, if it predicts the results of the experiment, you HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THE

THEORY. So we scientists have learned to realize that whether we like a theory or not is not the essential

question. Rather, it is whether or not the theory gives predictions that agree with the experiments. So I

hope you can accept Nature as She is – absurd.

Applause

FEYNMAN: It is necessary to fall in love with a theory, just like falling in love with a woman. It’s only

possible if one does not completely understand her.

ASIA: You have stated many times that if you can’t explain your idea to a child, that means you do not

understand it. So my question is: What is QED ??? How do I, as an English major, understand

this...theory, “Quantum Electrodynamics ” ???

FEYNMAN: Remember the mess at the beginning of the 20th century? We had heat, electricity,

magnetism, light, X-rays, ultraviolet rays. After James Maxwell synthesized electricity, magnetism, and

light into one theory, we still had Newton’s laws of motion and Maxwell’s theory electromagnetic waves.

QED puts all this together in one theory. It involves how electrons interact with photons or light. In other

words, QED is the theory of interaction of light with matter. QED has survived all these years. I would

say, it is the jewel of physics – our proudest possession.

Applause

FEYNMAN: One simple way to summarize my theory is that to make an electron go from say A to B,

is to sum over all possible paths – unlike classical theory which says there is a unique path to go from A

to B.

PROF SATIJA: Could you comment on science and religion?

FEYNMAN: Our civilization stands on two great heritages. One is the scientific spirit of adventure – the

adventure into the unknown, an unknown which must be recognized as being unknown in order to be

explored. The other great heritage is Christian ethics the basis of action on love, the brotherhood of all

man, the value of the individual. These two heritages are logically, thoroughly consistent. I agree that

science cannot disprove God. I absolutely agree. I also agree that a belief in science and region is

consistent. I know many scientists who believe in God.

STANDING OVATION

CHAIRMAN: Thank you Professor Feynman, and thank you to all distinguished guests. Ladies and

Gentlemen, this concludes the evening. Have a good night and remember, somewhere, something

incredible is waiting to be known.

NARRATOR 1: Yes, it is always sunny in Stockholm.

STANDING OVATION. Curtain falls