--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here the attention of the research…" description: "\"“Here the attention of the research workers is primarily directed to the problem of reconciling the claims of the special relativity theory with those ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/werner-heisenberg-4501_dirac_here-the-attention-of-the-research-worke_2524030.jpg" --- # Here the attention of the research workers is primarily… ![“Here the attention of the research workers is primarily directed to the problem of reconciling the claims of the special relativity theory with those of the quantum theory. The extraordinary advances made in this field by Dirac ... leave open the question whether it will be possible to satisfy the…” quote by Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/werner-heisenberg-4501_dirac_here-the-attention-of-the-research-worke_2524030.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/werner-heisenberg-4501_dirac_here-the-attention-of-the-research-worke_2524030.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab2/werner-heisenberg-4501_dirac_here-the-attention-of-the-research-worke_2524030.jpg) > ““Here the attention of the research workers is primarily directed to the problem of reconciling the claims of the special relativity theory with those of the quantum theory. The extraordinary advances made in this field by Dirac ... leave open the question whether it will be possible to satisfy the claims of the two theories without at the same time determining the Sommerfeld fine-structure constant.”” [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Heisenberg notes the difficulty of unifying quantum mechanics with special relativity, especially the Sommerfeld constant. **In simple terms:** Merging two physics theories is hard. Key Takeaway Seek deeper theoretical bridges. Themes physics theory unification Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - research labs - academic conferences - theoretical modeling Key Concepts quantum mechanics special relativity fine‑structure constant Questions to Reflect On - Can a new framework resolve the conflict? - What experimental evidence could guide unification? A Different Perspective The constant may be emergent, not fundamental. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dirac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirac/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Quantum theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantum-theory/) [Relativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relativity/) ## Related quotes > [The incomplete knowledge of a system must be an essential part of every formulation in quantum theory. 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What is the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/so-we-may-now-pose-a-question-which-could-be-answered-only-if-we-have/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [Classical physics has been superseded by quantum theory: quantum theory is verified by experiments. Experiments must be described in terms of classical physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-von-weizsacker/classical-physics-has-been-superseded-by-quantum-theory-quantum/) Carl Friedrich von Weizsacker > [“The prime number 137 had continuously occupied Pauli's mind. It is an approximate value for a constant appearing in the fine structure theory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-v-laurikainen/the-prime-number-137-had-continuously-occupied-pauli-s-mind-it-is-an/) K. V. Laurikainen > [“If the deep logic of what determines the value of the fine-structure constant also played a significant role in our understanding of all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/if-the-deep-logic-of-what-determines-the-value-of-the-fine-structure/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) > [“Fine Structure Constant: Fundamental numerical constant of atomic physics and quantum electrodynamics, defined as the square of the charge of the electron divided by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/fine-structure-constant-fundamental-numerical-constant-of-atomic/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“Realizing its fundamental importance in understanding spectral lines, in atomic physics and in the theory of how light and electrons interact, quantum electrodynamics, Pauli…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-i-miller/realizing-its-fundamental-importance-in-understanding-spectral-lines/) Arthur I. Miller > [“Quite obviously, a theoretical determination of the numerical value of α would signify great progress in our understanding of fundamental interactions. Many physicists have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harald-fritzsch/quite-obviously-a-theoretical-determination-of-the-numerical-value-of/) Harald Fritzsch > [“In his first philosophical lecture on modern physics that Pauli gave in November 1934 to the Zurich Philosophical Society he said that only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-p-enz/in-his-first-philosophical-lecture-on-modern-physics-that-pauli-gave/) Charles P. Enz > [“Let us begin with the fine-structure constant. ... The fine-structure constant is really the ratio of two natural units or atoms of action. ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-stanley-eddington/let-us-begin-with-the-fine-structure-constant-the-fine-structure/) [Arthur Stanley Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-stanley-eddington/) > [“All integral laws of spectral lines and of atomic theory spring originally from the quantum theory. It is the mysterious organon on which Nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-sommerfeld/all-integral-laws-of-spectral-lines-and-of-atomic-theory-spring/) [Arnold Sommerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-sommerfeld/) > [The total number of people who understand relativistic time, even after eighty years since the advent of special relativity, is still much smaller than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-ne-eman/the-total-number-of-people-who-understand-relativistic-time-even/) Yuval Ne'eman > [“Special relativity killed the classical dream of using the energy-momentum-velocity relations of a particle as a means of probing the dynamic origins of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-pais/special-relativity-killed-the-classical-dream-of-using-the-energy/) [Abraham Pais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-pais/) ## More by Werner Heisenberg > [“Revere those things beyond science which really matter and about which it is so difficult to speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/revere-those-things-beyond-science-which-really-matter-and-about/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [“In the history of science, ever since the famous trial of Galileo, it has repeatedly been claimed that scientific truth cannot be reconciled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/in-the-history-of-science-ever-since-the-famous-trial-of-galileo-it/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [The more closely you look at one thing, the less closely can you see something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/the-more-closely-you-look-at-one-thing-the-less-closely-can-you-see/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [I think that if a United States of Europe were to be formed, it would be in our interests to fight for it, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/i-think-that-if-a-united-states-of-europe-were-to-be-formed-it-would/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [Whether we electrons, light quanta, benzol molecules, or stones, we shall always come up against these two characteristics, the corpuscular and the undular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/whether-we-electrons-light-quanta-benzol-molecules-or-stones-we-shall/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [It is probably true quite generally that in the history of human thinking the most fruitful developments frequently take place at those points where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/it-is-probably-true-quite-generally-that-in-the-history-of-human/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [If we made atomic bombs, we would bring about a terrible change in the world. Who knows what would happen from this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/if-we-made-atomic-bombs-we-would-bring-about-a-terrible-change-in-the/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [The positivists have a simple solution: the world must be divided into that which we can say clearly and the rest, which we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/the-positivists-have-a-simple-solution-the-world-must-be-divided-into/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [“what we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning’.77”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/what-we-observe-is-not-nature-itself-but-nature-exposed-to-our-method/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [A consistent pursuit of classical physics forces a transformation in the very heart of that physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/a-consistent-pursuit-of-classical-physics-forces-a-transformation-in/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [ It was about three o'clock at night when the final result of the calculation \[which gave birth to quantum mechanics\] lay before me ...… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/it-was-about-three-o-clock-at-night-when-the-final-result-of-the/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [Only a few know, how much one must know to know how little one knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/only-a-few-know-how-much-one-must-know-to-know-how-little-one-knows/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [“We have to remember that what we observe is not nature in itself but nature exposed to our method of questioning. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/we-have-to-remember-that-what-we-observe-is-not-nature-in-itself-but/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [I think that modern physics has definitely decided in favor of Plato. In fact the smallest units of matter are not physical objects in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/i-think-that-modern-physics-has-definitely-decided-in-favor-of-plato/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [The end of the First World War had thrown Germany's youth into great turmoil. The reins of power had fallen from the hands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/the-end-of-the-first-world-war-had-thrown-germany-s-youth-into-great/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) [Explore all 109 Werner Heisenberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) ## More Dirac quotes > [When I was a young man, Dirac was my hero. He made a breakthrough, a new method of doing physics. He had the courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/when-i-was-a-young-man-dirac-was-my-hero-he-made-a-breakthrough-a-new/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [In his 1930 book, Dirac took for granted that measurements could be made, but was very vague about what was actually involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-lamb/in-his-1930-book-dirac-took-for-granted-that-measurements-could-be/) [Willis Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-lamb/) > [“The strength of the familiar electromagnetic force between two electrons, for example, is expressed in physics in terms of a constant known as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-livio/the-strength-of-the-familiar-electromagnetic-force-between-two/) Mario Livio > [“Our friend Dirac has a creed; and the main tenet of that creed is: There is no God, and Dirac is his prophet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/our-friend-dirac-has-a-creed-and-the-main-tenet-of-that-creed-is/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [ Dirac politely refused Robert's \[Robert Oppenheimer\] two proffered books: reading books, the Cambridge theoretician announced gravely, "interfered with thought." ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-walter-alvarez/dirac-politely-refused-robert-s-robert-oppenheimer-two-proffered/) [Luis Walter Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-walter-alvarez/) > [“Dirac found that the ratio of the electric force to the gravitational force of an electron-proton pair is roughly equal to the ratio of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-flynn/dirac-found-that-the-ratio-of-the-electric-force-to-the-gravitational/) [Michael Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-flynn/) > [God does not exist and Dirac is His prophet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-paul/god-does-not-exist-and-dirac-is-his-prophet/) [Wolfgang Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-paul/) > [“...I am not, however, militant in my atheism. The great English theoretical physicist Paul Dirac is a militant atheist. I suppose he is interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-pauling/i-am-not-however-militant-in-my-atheism-the-great-english-theoretical/) [Linus Pauling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-pauling/) > [“Dirac's equation not only accounted for the spin of the electron and its observed magnetic moment, but also correctly explained the fine structure of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvan-s-schweber/dirac-s-equation-not-only-accounted-for-the-spin-of-the-electron-and/) Silvan S. Schweber > [In the 1920s the young English physicist Paul Dirac began trying to understand and describe the space-time evolution of the electron, the first elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonino-zichichi/in-the-1920s-the-young-english-physicist-paul-dirac-began-trying-to/) Antonino Zichichi > [“During the meeting in Delhi with Dirac on 12 January 1955, Nehru asked him if he had any recommendations for the future of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-farmelo/during-the-meeting-in-delhi-with-dirac-on-12-january-1955-nehru-asked/) Graham Farmelo > [ “When Dirac was an old man, younger physicists often asked him how he felt when he discovered the \[Dirac\] equation. From his replies, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-farmelo/when-dirac-was-an-old-man-younger-physicists-often-asked-him-how-he/) Graham Farmelo > [Well, our friend Dirac, too, has a religion, and its guiding principle is "God does not exist and Dirac is His prophet."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/well-our-friend-dirac-too-has-a-religion-and-its-guiding-principle-is/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [If I understand Dirac correctly, his meaning is this: there is no God, and Dirac is his Prophet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/if-i-understand-dirac-correctly-his-meaning-is-this-there-is-no-god/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [Well, our friend Dirac, too, has a religion, and its guiding principle is: 'There is no God and Dirac is His prophet.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/well-our-friend-dirac-too-has-a-religion-and-its-guiding-principle-is-2/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) [Browse all 18 Dirac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirac/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Here the attention of the research workers is primarily directed to the problem of reconciling the claims of the special relativity theory with those of the quantum theory. 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