Pauli's Exclusion Principle (Archive Episode)

In this episode of "In Our Time," Melvyn Bragg leads a discussion with Frank Close, Michela Massimi, and Graham Farmelo about the life and work of Wolfgang Pauli and his groundbreaking Exclusion Principle. The panel explores Pauli's early life, his contributions to quantum mechanics, including the concept of two-valuedness and the prediction of the neutrino, and his complex personality, including his interest in alchemy and psychoanalysis. They also discuss the significance of the Exclusion Principle in understanding the structure of atoms and the stability of matter, as well as the challenges in testing such a fundamental principle. The conversation touches on Pauli's relationship with his contemporaries, his critical nature, and the reasons behind the delay in his Nobel Prize award.