In a fascinating new documentary, Prof Luke O'Neill looks into the life, work and mind of Erwin Schrodinger, the esteemed Nobel Prize-winning physicist who lived and worked in Ireland during the 1940s and whose Dublin lectures left a legacy of scientific revolution.
As part of Science Week, this documentary offers unprecedented insight into one of the most awe-inspiring scientific minds of the 20th century.
The celebrated and renowned lectures, titled 'What is Life?' and delivered in a lecture theatre in Trinity's Fitzgerald or Physics Building which is now named in his honour, were wildly popular and led to one of the most important scientific discoveries in history - the double helix structure of DNA.
After 75 years of living in the riches of his work, Prof O'Neill has decided to probe deeper into the man himself, asking who was Erwin Schrödinger; what was the impact of his work; and how on earth did a Nobel prize winning physicist end up in Ireland just before the outbreak of WWII?
The Austrian physicist was already a giant figure in his field by the time he was contacted by no other than Eamon de Valera, who had just opened an institute specialising in Celtic Studies and Theoretical Physics along the lines of Princeton in the USA.
Schrodinger had won the Nobel Prize for his work decoding the seemingly bizarre behaviour of tiny particles known as Quantum physics with just one brilliant equation, a discovery that was described by Einstein as springing from "true genius".
However, he was working in Berlin in the 1930s, witnessing the rise and rise of the Nazi party and struggling to exist in the country. Although not Jewish himself, he was viewed as a politically unreliable figure and happily accepted de Valera's offer.
Although fascinating, this is merely the surface level story of one of the scientific world's most important figures. To learn more, tune in tonight!
Thinking Outside the Box - Schrodinger in Ireland airs tonight at 7:30pm on RTÉ One!
