Discovered by Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), this equation brings us to an uncanny world where no
object has a definite position, except when colliding with something else. It is one of the most important equations in quantum physics, the empirical efficacy of which is not confined to esoteric science: contemporary technologies such as the internet, cell phones, GPS, lasers, medical imaging techniques like MRIs and PET scans, computers, and so much more would not exist without it.

The foundational issues of quantum physics are fascinating, intrinsically entangled with contemporary experience. They serve as a testing ground for long-standing philosophical inquiries into the nature of identity, meaning, existence, and causality. Andrea Galvani’s sculpture illuminates the metaphysical power of theories that account for phenomena ranging from the smallest components of reality to inconceivably large cosmological objects like supermassive black holes. It takes us back to the beginning of time, the birth of the Universe, and represents one of the most exciting and dynamic areas for the evolution of human knowledge.

Quanta behave like both waves and particles, which can appear out of nothing and disappear again. The movement of objects from one place to another does not occur in a predictable way: we can only speak in terms of probability. In order to describe quantum objects mid-flight, we use this equation. The appearance of i is its most mysterious and profound feature, the principal element that distinguishes it from the classical wave equation. It stands for the square root of -1, so the equation can be applied to waves defined by complex or imaginary numbers. For the first time, i becomes an explicit feature of physical law. Like the classical wave equation, it analyzes waves as they move through space and time. Unlike the classical wave equation, only one variable (either space or time) can be measured at a given time. Contrary to our experience of reality, they are separable. Moreover, the entire wave function can never be observed, it can only be applied to discrete components or eigenfunctions. In fact, if you try to measure more than one at a time, the measurement process of one disturbs the other.