Introduction by Paul Davis

An old and a new tradition
The history of quantum theory
The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory
Quantum theory and the roots of atomic science
The development of philosophical ideas since Descartes in comparison with the new situation in quantum theory
The relation of quantum theory to other parts of natural science
The theory of relativity
Criticism and counterproposal to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory
Quantum theory and the structure of matter
Language and reality in modern physics
The role of modern physics in the present development of human thinking

Nobel Prize winner Werner Heisenberg's classic account explains the central ideas of the quantum revolution, and his celebrated Uncertainty Principle. The theme of Heisenberg's exposition is that words and concepts familiar in daily life can lose their meaning in the world of relativity and quantum physics. This in turn has profound philosophical implications for the nature of reality and for our total world view.A classic statement of the philosphical problems surrounding quantum theory and relativity by one of the founders of modern physics and the proponent of quantum physics' greatest challenge to philosophy - Heisenberg's Uncertainty Priciple.