--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great revelation of the quantum…" description: "\"The great revelation of the quantum theory was that features of discreteness were discovered in the Book of Nature, in a context in which anything othe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/erwin-schrodinger-8450_absurd_the-great-revelation-of-the-quantum-theo_2758068.jpg" --- # The great revelation of the quantum theory was that… ![“The great revelation of the quantum theory was that features of discreteness were discovered in the Book of Nature, in a context in which anything other than continuity seemed to be absurd according to the views held until then.” quote by Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/erwin-schrodinger-8450_absurd_the-great-revelation-of-the-quantum-theo_2758068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/erwin-schrodinger-8450_absurd_the-great-revelation-of-the-quantum-theo_2758068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43d/erwin-schrodinger-8450_absurd_the-great-revelation-of-the-quantum-theo_2758068.jpg) > “The great revelation of the quantum theory was that features of discreteness were discovered in the Book of Nature, in a context in which anything other than continuity seemed to be absurd according to the views held until then.” [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quantum revolution showed that nature is fundamentally discrete, contradicting earlier continuous models. **In simple terms:** Nature is made of distinct units, not smooth flow. Key Takeaway Accept and explore discrete nature of reality. Themes science philosophy paradigm shift Mood curious thoughtful Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - physics research - technology development - education - philosophical debate Key Concepts quantum mechanics discreteness continuity historical shift Questions to Reflect On - How does discreteness affect our view of reality? - What implications does this have for technology? A Different Perspective Discreteness challenges intuition and requires new mathematical tools. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Continuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continuity/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Quantum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantum/) [Quantum theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantum-theory/) [Revelations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelations/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Conventional wisdom, fooled by our misleading "physical intuition", is that the real world is "continuous", and that discrete models are necessary evils for approximating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doron-zeilberger/conventional-wisdom-fooled-by-our-misleading-physical-intuition-is/) [Doron Zeilberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doron-zeilberger/) > [I do not know if it has ever been noted before that one of the main characteristics of life is discreteness. Unless a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/i-do-not-know-if-it-has-ever-been-noted-before-that-one-of-the-main/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [If we are going t stick to this damned quantum-jumping, then I regret that I ever had anything to do with quantum theory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/if-we-are-going-t-stick-to-this-damned-quantum-jumping-then-i-regret/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [In Darwin's theory, you just have to substitute 'mutations' for his 'slight accidental variations' (just as quantum theory substitutes 'quantum jump' for 'continuous transfer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/in-darwin-s-theory-you-just-have-to-substitute-mutations-for-his/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [The mathematical framework of quantum theory has passed countless successful tests and is now universally accepted as a consistent and accurate description of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/the-mathematical-framework-of-quantum-theory-has-passed-countless/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [If all this damned quantum jumping were really here to stay, I should be sorry, I should be sorry I ever got involved with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/if-all-this-damned-quantum-jumping-were-really-here-to-stay-i-should/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“The only ‘failure’ of quantum theory is its inability to provide a natural framework for our prejudices.”1”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthieu-ricard/the-only-failure-of-quantum-theory-is-its-inability-to-provide-a/) [Matthieu Ricard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthieu-ricard/) > [No theory of reality compatible with quantum theory can require spatially separate events to be independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stewart-bell/no-theory-of-reality-compatible-with-quantum-theory-can-require/) [John Stewart Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stewart-bell/) > [“It would probably be wiser to nail up over the door of the new quantum theory a notice, 'Structural alterations in progress - No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-stanley-eddington/it-would-probably-be-wiser-to-nail-up-over-the-door-of-the-new/) [Arthur Stanley Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-stanley-eddington/) > [The words are strung together, with their own special grammar-the laws of quantum theory-to form sentences, which are molecules. 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What we observe instead of the sound pitch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henning-genz/just-as-with-sound-waves-light-waves-emitted-by-a-moving-source-show/) [Henning Genz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henning-genz/) ## More by Erwin Schrodinger > [Thus you can throw yourself flat on the ground, stretched out upon mother earth, with the certain conviction that you are one with her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/thus-you-can-throw-yourself-flat-on-the-ground-stretched-out-upon/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [Nature has no reverence towards life. Nature treats life as though it were the most valueless thing in the world… Nature does not act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/nature-has-no-reverence-towards-life-nature-treats-life-as-though-it/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [I know not whence I came, nor whither I go, nor who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/i-know-not-whence-i-came-nor-whither-i-go-nor-who-i-am/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [If all this damned quantum jumping were really here to stay, I should be sorry, I should be sorry I ever got involved with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/if-all-this-damned-quantum-jumping-were-really-here-to-stay-i-should/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [In an honest search for knowledge, you quite often have to abide by ignorance for an indefinite period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/in-an-honest-search-for-knowledge-you-quite-often-have-to-abide-by/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [Whence come I and whither go I? 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It gives a lot of factual information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/i-am-very-astonished-that-the-scientific-picture-of-the-real-world/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [If a man never contradicts himself, the reason must be that he virtually never says anything at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/if-a-man-never-contradicts-himself-the-reason-must-be-that-he/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“I am no friend of probability theory, I have hated it from the first moment when our dear friend Max Born gave it birth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/i-am-no-friend-of-probability-theory-i-have-hated-it-from-the-first/) [Erwin Schrödinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [Our perceiving self is nowhere to be found in the world-picture, because it itself is the world-picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/our-perceiving-self-is-nowhere-to-be-found-in-the-world-picture/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [Vedanta teaches that consciousness is singular, all happenings are played out in one universal consciousness and there is no multiplicity of selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/vedanta-teaches-that-consciousness-is-singular-all-happenings-are/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [An animal that embarks on forming states without greatly restricting egoism will perish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/an-animal-that-embarks-on-forming-states-without-greatly-restricting/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [Matter and energy seem granular in structure, and so does “life”, but not so mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/matter-and-energy-seem-granular-in-structure-and-so-does-life-but-not/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“When in the puppet-show of dreams we hold in hand the strings of quite a number of actors, controlling their actions and their speech,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/when-in-the-puppet-show-of-dreams-we-hold-in-hand-the-strings-of/) [Erwin Schrödinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) [Explore all 79 Erwin Schrodinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. 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