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The theory of relativity... showed in a conclusive way that the concept of the ether as a substance, to which Maxwell's equations refer, had to be abandoned. ...the result was that the fields had to be considered as an independent reality.

— Werner Heisenberg Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science (1958)

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More quotes by Werner Heisenberg

There is a fundamental error in separating the parts from the whole, the mistake of atomizing what should not be atomized. Unity and complementarity constitute reality.

Light and matter are both single entities, and the apparent duality arises in the limitations of our language.

We have to remember that what we observe is not nature herself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.

Physics and Philosophy (1958)

The more precise the measurement of position, the more imprecise the measurement of momentum, and vice versa.

The existing scientific concepts cover always only a very limited part of reality, and the other part that has not yet been understood is infinite.

Physics and Philosophy (1958)

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