This is the Guardian. Hi, Science Weekly host Madeline here.

The team are all on their Christmas holidays,

so we've picked out a couple of episodes from the archive for you.

And they're two of my favorites from the past year. Across two

parts Ian Sample delves into the strange world of quantum theory with physicist and

author Carlo Ravelli.

In this episode, Ian gets a crash course in quantum physics,

and here's about some of the mysteries it continues to pose. We'll be playing the second part of

their conversation on Thursday. I hope you enjoy it. In June 1925, 1925, this is Physicist Werner Heisenberg retreated to a wind-swept island called Helgoland or Heligoland in the North Sea.

He was really just beginning his career and yet clambering over rocks and looking out over white sands he was on the

cusp of a discovery that would unveil an entirely new perspective on the world quantum

theory the world, quantum theory.

As quantum unfolded itself, observations about the behavior of atoms, energy and light

became explainable. A lot of that behavior was very strange.

Electrons seemed to be in two or more places at once. When taken far away from each other, particles appear to instantaneously know things about one another, something Einstein termed spooky action at a distance.

Quantum theory unleashed mystery so incomprehensible that they've baffled

both scientists and philosophers to this day. So how should we understand quantum physics? Will we ever get to the bottom of its enigmas?

We have a theory that works very well. In fact, I would say more than a theory that works very well.

It's probably the theory that works best that we ever had in science.

And yet if we try to ask, okay, so what is it telling us about the world?

It just doesn't make sense. It's like it's telling us about the world. It just doesn't make sense. It's like it's telling us about the world,

don't ask.

...