Overlooked pioneers from quantum history

<p>In the folklore of physics, the origins of quantum mechanics are often told as the story of a handful of brilliant young men, trading ideas in lecture halls and cafes. The German term <em>Knabenphysik</em> – “boys’ physics” – helped cement that image, and its gender bias went largely unchallenged for decades.</p> <p>The latest <em>Physics World Stories</em> podcast, hosted by Andrew Glester, features <a href="https://www.tue.nl/en/research/researchers/margriet-van-der-heijden">Margriet van der Heijden</a>, professor of science communication at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, and Michelle Frank, a 2024–25 Public Scholar with the US National Endowment for the Humanities. Both contributed to <em><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/physics/history-philosophy-and-foundations-physics/women-history-quantum-physics-beyond-iknabenphysiki#description">Women in the History of Quantum Physics: Beyond Knabenphysik</a></em>, a new book that brin...