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Werner Karl Heisenberg

ヴェルナー・カール・ハイゼンベルク

Werner Heisenberg

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1901-12-05 （Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire）
Died
1976-02-01 （Munich, Bavaria, West Germany） age 74
Nationality
Germany
Languages
German, English
Religion
Lutheran
Residence History
Munich → Göttingen → Leipzig → Berlin (Dahlem) → Urfeld am Walchensee

Career

Occupations
Theoretical physicist, Professor, Research director
Active Years
1920-1976
Affiliations
University of Göttingen, University of Copenhagen (Bohr Institute), Leipzig University, Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics / Max Planck Institute for Physics, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Memberships
Member of multiple academies (e.g. Leopoldina, academies of Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, USA)
Influenced By
Arnold Sommerfeld, Niels Bohr, Max Born
Influenced
Felix Bloch, Rudolf Peierls, Edward Teller, Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, Jochen Heisenberg (son)

Education

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Physics
Degree: Dr. phil. (博士)
Period: 1920–1923
Year of Graduation: 1923
Country: Germany
Doctoral advisor: Arnold Sommerfeld
University of Göttingen
Physics and Mathematics
Degree: Dr. habil.（ハビリタツィオン）
Period: 1923–1924
Year of Graduation: 1924
Country: Germany
Habilitation under Max Born

Awards

Matteucci Medal
1929
Organization: Italian scientific society
Result: 受賞
Barnard Medal for Meritorious Service to Science
1930
Organization: Columbia University
Result: 受賞
Nobel Prize in Physics
1932
Work: Creation of quantum mechanics
Organization: Nobel Foundation
Result: 受賞
Max Planck Medal
1933
Organization: German Physical Society (Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft)
Result: 受賞
Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS)
1955
Organization: The Royal Society
Result: 選出
Niels Bohr International Gold Medal
1970
Organization: Niels Bohr-related organization
Result: 受賞
Pour le Mérite (Civil class)
Organization: Pour le Mérite
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Umdeutung paper (Quantum-Theoretical Re-interpretation of Kinematic and Mechanical Relations)

1925 Research paper 15 pages

A seminal paper that proposed describing quantum phenomena using only observables, laying the foundations of matrix mechanics and modern quantum theory.

Quantum mechanicsMatrix mechanicsObservables
Translations
  • English translation (in collected sources)

Paper on the Uncertainty Principle

1927 Research paper 12 pages

Introduced the principle that limits the simultaneous precision of conjugate variables such as position and momentum, with profound philosophical and experimental implications.

UncertaintyMeasurementQuantum philosophy

Der Teil und das Ganze (The Part and the Whole)

1969 Autobiography / Essays 320 pages

A memoir in the form of conversations covering colleagues, history and philosophy of physics; includes reflections on science and religion.

History of sciencePhilosophy of scienceMemoir
Translations
  • English translation: Physics and Beyond / Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations

Bibliography

  • The Physical Principles of the Quantum Theory (1930)
  • The Physicist's Conception of Nature (1958 English)
  • The Part and the Whole (1969)

Adaptations

  • Portrayed in the film 'Copenhagen' (2002) by Daniel Craig
  • Featured in TV drama 'The Heavy Water War' (2015) and other dramatizations
  • Appears as a character in some scenes of 'Oppenheimer' (2023) in later portrayals

Translations of Works

  • Der Teil und das Ganze → English: Physics and Beyond
  • Major papers translated into English (collected volumes)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Philosophical and logical expositionEmphasis on mathematical rigorUse of conversational/conceptual presentation in later works
Recurring Motifs
Relation between observation and realityDialogue between science, religion and philosophyThe descriptive role of theory

Health

  • Kidney cancer
    1975–1976
    Led to his death in 1976 and affected late-life activity

Legacy

One of the founders of matrix mechanics and proposer of the uncertainty principle, Heisenberg had immense influence on 20th-century physics. He also played key roles in wartime nuclear research debates and in rebuilding German research infrastructure and international scientific cooperation after WWII.

Museums

  • Max Planck Society displays (busts and exhibits) Garching bei München (near Munich)

Academic Societies

  • German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
  • The Royal Society (Foreign Member)
  • National Academy of Sciences / American academies (honorary)

Archives

  • Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center (archives of wartime reports)
  • American Institute of Physics archives

In Popular Culture

  • The alias 'Heisenberg' used by Walter White in 'Breaking Bad'
  • References such as the 'Heisenberg compensator' in Star Trek
  • Characters inspired by his name (e.g., Karl Heisenberg in Resident Evil Village)

Quotes

  • We can no longer speak of the behaviour of the particle independently of the process of observation; science no longer confronts nature as an objective observer but sees itself as an actor in this interplay between man and nature.
    Source: The Physicist's Conception of Nature (lectures published 1958) (1958)
  • Physics is reflection on the divine ideas of Creation; therefore physics is divine service.
    Source: Lecture 'Scientific and Religious Truth' (1974) (1974)

Trivia

  • 'Heisenberg' is used as the alias of the protagonist in the TV series 'Breaking Bad'.
  • In his youth he was active in German scouting (Neupfadfinder).
  • In later life he published and lectured widely on the relation between science and religion.