The Nobel Prize in Physics 1937 was awarded jointly to Clinton Joseph Davisson and George Paget Thomson “for their experimental discovery of the diffraction of electrons by crystals.”
We think we understand the regular reflection of light and X rays – and we should understand the reflections of electrons as well if electrons were only waves instead of particles … It is rather as if one were to see a rabbit climbing a tree, and were to say ‘Well, that is rather a strange thing for a rabbit to be doing, but after all there is really nothing to get excited about. Cats climb trees – so that if the rabbit were only a cat, we would understand its behavior perfectly.’ Of course, the explanation might be that what we took to be a rabbit was not a rabbit at all but was actually a cat. Is it possible that we are mistaken all this time in supposing they are particles, and that actually they are waves?
Well, 1 do not need to enumerate to you the many reasons we have for believing–I may say for knowing–that electrons are actually particles.
Clinton Joseph Davisson (May 1928). “Are Electrons Waves?”. J. Franklin Institute
Discoveries in physics are made when the time for making them is ripe, and not before.
Clinton Joseph Davisson
The influence of science on men’s lives comes in two rather different ways, one through the ideas themselves, and the other through their material.
Sir George Paget Thomson
An electron is like an able guerrilla leader who occupies a wide area with rumors of his presence, but when he strikes, he strikes with his whole force.
Sir George Paget Thomson
The progress of science is a little like making a jig-saw puzzle. One makes collections of pieces which certainly fit together, though at first it is not clear where each group should come in the picture as a whole, and if at first one makes a mistake in placing it, this can be corrected later without dismantling the whole group.
Sir George Paget Thomson
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for : Mind of Zero
Tuesday Science Blog
ram H singhal 