1895–1927 · Europe · Science
X-rays, radioactivity and quantum theory revealed that matter and energy behaved in ways classical physics could not fully explain.
Atlas dossier · Industrial & Imperial AgeFree device narration · synchronized English captions · transcript available
Why it matters
X-rays, radioactivity and quantum theory revealed that matter and energy behaved in ways classical physics could not fully explain.
Wilhelm Röntgen · Marie Curie · Max Planck · Niels Bohr · laboratory workers
The new physics enabled imaging, electronics and nuclear technologies while changing basic ideas about certainty and nature.
Interpretation note
This dossier distinguishes the event’s basic chronology from later arguments about meaning, responsibility and legacy. When comparing religious, national, Indigenous or scholarly interpretations, consult the primary and institutional sources above alongside peer-reviewed historical work.
Elsewhere in the world
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