Uncertainty and the Quantum Revolution

Essays examining the evolution of scientific understanding on the one hundredth anniversary of quantum mechanics. A century ago, physics was upended by a small group of brilliant scientists. Uncertainty and the Quantum Revolution traces the fifty-year transformation, from 1895 to 1945, that shattered the predictability of the clockwork universe and gave rise to a new understanding of nature, one governed by probability rather than certainty. The 137 items in this Grolier Club publication include landmark books, autograph manuscripts, inscribed offprints, and signed letters exchanged among collaborators and rivals, with foundational works reaching back to the first printed edition of Euclid in 1482. Together, they follow the path from X-rays, radioactivity, and relativity to quantum mechanics, nuclear energy, and computing, showing how a few strange equations unlocked the technologies that shape modern life. Foreword by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Essays by Ivan Amato, Ryan Dahn, Peter Galison, Michael D. Gordin, David Kaiser, Derek Kaufman, Janna Levin, David Lindley, Hannah Marcus, Arati Prabhakar, Maria Rentetzi, Suman Seth, Alex Wellerstein, and Benjamin Wilson.