Heisenberg

Werner Heisenberg - Born: 5 Dec 1901, Died: 1 Feb 1976

  • Werner Heisenberg was born.

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    Heisenberg goes to University

    Heisenberg finished his early education and went off to college. He went to the University of Munich to study physics under Sommerfeld, Wien, Pringsheim, and Rosenthal. During the winter of 1922-1923, he went to Göttingen to study physics under Max Born, Franck, and Hilbert. In 1923, Heisenberg took his PHD at the University of Munich and then in 1924 he gained the authority to teach at that university.
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    Heisenberg as a Professor

    After he obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Munich, Heisenberg worked with Niels Bohr at University of Copenhagen. In 1926 he was appointed Lecturer in Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen while still under Niels Bohr. In 1927, when he was 26 years old, he was appointed Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Leipzig. In 1929, he went on a lecture tour to the United States, Japan, and India.
  • Quantum Mechanics

    Heisenberg published his theory of quantum mechanics in 1925, when he was only 23 years old. The theory and the applications of it resulted in the discovery of allotropic forms of hydrogen.
  • The Nobel Prize

    Heisenberg was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for 1932. The Nobel Prize was awarded for Heisenberg's theory on quantum mechanics. His theory included the Uncertainty Principle, which states that the position and the velocity of an object cannot both be measured exactly, at the same time, even in theory. Here is a YouTube video explaining the Uncertainty Principle:
    What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
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    Continuing as a Vessel of Knowledge

    Heisenberg was appointed Professor of Physics at the University of Berlin and Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics there in 1941. At the end of the Second World War, Heisenberg was taken prisoner by American Troops and sent to England. In 1946, he returned to Germany and reorganized at the Institute for Physics at Göttingen. This institute was renamed the Max Planck Institute for Physics in 1948.
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    The Lectures Continue

    Heisenberg continued giving lectures in England, the United States, and Scotland from 1948 to 1956. In 1955, Heisenberg helped with preparing for the removal of the Max Planck Institute for Physics to Munich. He went with the institute to Munich, and was appointed Professor of Physics in the University of Munich in 1958.
  • Problem Solving

    From 1957 and onwards, Heisenberg was interested in work on problems of plasma physics and thermonuclear processes. He was in close collaboration with the International Institute of Atomic Physics at Geneva. He was Chairman of the Scientific Policy Committee of this Institute and subsequently remained a member of this Committee.
  • Death

    Werner Heisenberg died on February 1, 1976.