Epilogue: Aspects of the Further Development of Quantum Theory (1942–1999)

Abstract

In an ‘Historical Overview of the Twentieth Century in Physics,’ Philip W. Anderson praised the first half of the century as ‘the triumph of physics’ (Anderson, 1995, p. 2020). Without going into detail—we may say that he indeed had essentially quantum theory and its applications, which we have discussed in these volumes, in mind—he made a note of the popular appreciation of this science which ‘attracted increasing support for the research from private philanthropy,’ such as the Nobel or the Rockefeller Foundations, while governmental funding was just starting.¹¹¹⁴