"The magic is always in the detail."
Theodor Fontane (1819-1898)
Investigators who want to solve a criminal case must pay attention to every detail in order to find clues that will lead them to the perpetrator. It is much the same with unraveling the mysteries of nature. The key to the solution often lies in details that seem insignificant at first.
To illustrate this point, we may consider an example from the history of science. In 1866, the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Angström (1814-1874) conducted precise measurements of the spectral lines of hydrogen. In the visible light spectrum, hydrogen emits six distinct spectral lines, with wavelengths of 389 nm, 397 nm, 410 nm, 434 nm, 486 nm, and 656 nm, respectively. Given the prevailing state of physical knowledge at the time, it was not possible to comprehend why the atoms only emitted discrete spectral lines and how the line spacing was determined. Upon initial examination, the recorded numerical values did not exhibit any discernible pattern. The Basel mathematics teacher Johann Jakob Balmer (1825-1898) dedicated several years to searching for an internal correlation and in 1885 established that the wavelengths of the hydrogen spectrum are related to each other in a manner analogous to the sequence of the numbers 32/(32-22), 42/(42-22), 52/(52-22), 62/(62-22) etc.This mathematical regularity may initially appear to be a mere numerological gimmick. However, there is a physical connection behind it that was to prove to be the key to the development of Bohr's atomic model. According to this model, electrons in the atomic shell can only occupy certain orbits that correspond to a discrete energy level. During the transition from an electron orbit with the atomic number m to an electron orbit with the atomic number n, light is emitted with a defined wavelength that is proportional to the factor n2 / (n2 - m2).
The example of atomic spectra illustrates that the clarification of inconsistent phenomena can facilitate the identification of fundamental relationships. It is therefore imperative that we direct our attention to the areas that remain unclear and pursue them with greater intensity. These include major developmental leaps in natural history, such as the origin of life, the formation of the genetic code, the emergence of consciousness and free will, and the evolution of human intelligence. They also encompass numerous minor peculiarities and inconsistencies that emerge when we examine the current state of knowledge more closely. Because the keys to a deeper understanding of the world probably lie hidden behind them.
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