Niels Bohr (1885–1962), the first Compton lecturer, was a Danish physicist who made critical contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and quantum mechanics. He was a professor at the University of Copenhagen and founded and directed the Institute of Theoretical Physics in 1921. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1922 and collaborated with several world-renowned scientists throughout his career, including Albert Einstein and Albert and Marie Curie. In 1941, Professor Bohr was recruited to work at the top-secret Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico on the Manhattan Project, and became a long-time advocate of scientific openness and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. He is considered to be one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.
Professor Bohr gave six Compton lectures, three seminars, and five question-and-answer sessions with students on the theme, “The Philosophical Lesson of Atomic Physics”:
- “Elements of Classical Physics.” November 5, 1957
- “Atomic Theory and Quantum of Action.” November 7, 1957
- “The Principles of Quantum Mechanics.” November 14, 1957
- “Quantum Physics and the Notion of Complementarity ” November 19, 1957
- “Complimentary Relationships in Biology and Psychology.” November 21, 1957
- “Atomic Physics and Man’s Position.” November 26, 1957
The topics and dates of the seminars and Q&A sessions are unknown.
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