Clip

Center For Computational Quantum Physics

Simons Foundation, June 2018

From early stone tools to silicon computer chips, materials have defined humankind’s progress. Electrons, discovered in 1897, are chiefly responsible for the physical properties of molecules and materials. The behavior of these charged particles determines why some metals hold an edge whereas others are pliable, why some substances react and others are inert, and why some materials conduct electricity and others insulate.