How did Rabi discover nuclear magnetic resonance?
How did it happen? It wasn’t some flash of lightning from a mountaintop. It was careful work, always asking 'What is the question?' and then designing experiments to get an honest answer. We were looking at molecular beams, trying to understand how molecules behaved when passing through magnetic fields. We used oscillating fields to 'flip' the magnetic moments of the nuclei. When the frequency of the oscillating field matched the energy difference between states – the resonance – you’d see a change. It’s about finding that precise match, that connection. It’s physics in action, not just in the head.
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