Einstein Rejects Quantum Field Theory

Einstein scraps QFT. In spite of his quest for a singular field theory, Einstein shot down Quantum Field Theory after querying a friend, Valentin Bargmann, to grant him a private tutorial on the matter. This is not shocking; at the time Quantum Field Theory was simply neither comprehensive nor a success, nor was Bargmann its best spokesperson. We need to also look at Einstein's great skepticism of the QM theory that came before Quantum Field Theory-- a wariness based upon its probabilistic attributes.(In QM one could never say exactly where a particle is, simply that it has a certain probability of being here or there.) This particular randomness was actually unconformable to Einstein and resulted in his famous remark, "I can not believe that God plays dice with the universe.".

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Quantum Field Theory and Einstein

Once Einstein began to work on gravity in 1907, science had come a long way from the days of Newton. Not only had electrical energy and magnetism been identified, but the idea of an electromagnetic field had substituted action-at-a-distance and was on the edge of replacing the ether. This led naturally to gravity likewise being seen as a field. After all, why would nature use a field for one force and action at a distance for another? There had likewise been fantastic developments in astronomy, partially because of Newton's new telescope. Two more planets had been discovered, with only Pluto remaining to be discovered (and later "benched"). However there still were no gravitational field equations-- the sine qua non of a true field. There additionally was a small issue pertaining to the orbit of the planet Mercury.

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