In the serene town of Duino, Italy, on September 5, 1906, physicist Ludwig Boltzmann took his own life. The reason was constant criticism for his belief in atoms—a concept most scientists of his era dismissed.
Boltzmann was among the first to use atoms and molecules to explain the mysteries of thermodynamics—ideas that eventually formed the foundation of quantum mechanics. Despite this, he had to face massive criticism from his colleagues, mostly from Mach and Ostwald. Mach believed that since atoms could not be observed, they are not scientific theories. Shortly after his death, Boltzmann's ideas got widespread acceptance mostly due to the work of Einstein and Planck.
0:00 - 1:44 Intro
1:44 - 2:50 Early life and education
2:50 - 12:43 Boltzmann’s work on Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
12:43 - 20:17 Boltzmann's allies and rivals
20:17 - 22:47 Death and Legacy