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Article: Putting quantum theory to a nuclear test.
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- September 16, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Putting quantum theory to a nuclear test
Quantum mechanics, the preeminent theory of matter and its interaction with radiation, has a remarkable track record, allowing scientists to predict accurately such properties as the energy levels of a hydrogen atom. Indeed, the theory agrees so well with experiment that it's difficult to imagine alternatives to the present formulation of quantum mechanics. And that has made it hard for scientists to think of experiments to effectively test the theory's completeness. However, the recent development of techniques that allow atomic measurements of unprecedented precision, combined with a novel generalization of quantum ...