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PHYSICS AND REALITY 313
of the field theory considered up to now. The reason is that
it has been found necessary to use-for the mathematical representation
of the so-called quantum phenomena---entirely new
methods.
While the failure of classical mechanics, as revealed by the
theory of relativity, is connected with the finite speed of light
(its not being co), it was discovered at the beginning of our
century that there were other kinds of inconsistencies between
deductions from mecllanics and experinlental facts, which inconsistencies
are connected with the finite magnitude (its not
being zero) of Planck's constant h. In particular, while molecular
memanics requires that both heat content and (monomromatic)
radiation density of solid bodies should decrease in
proportion to the decreasing absolute temperature, experience
has shown that they decrease much more rapidly than the
absolute temperature. For a theoretical explanation of this
behavior it was necessary to assume that the energy of a mechanical
system cannot assume arbitrary values, but only certain discrete
values whose mathematical expressions were always dependent
upon Planck's constant h. Moreover, this conception
was essential for the theory of the atom (Bohr's theory). For
the transitions of these states into one another-with or without
emission or absorption of radiation-no causal laws could
be given, but only statistical ones; and a similar conclusion
holds for the ra