In the first paper, which was published in March, Einstein examined the phenomenon in which electromagnetic radiation seemed to be emitted from objects in discrete quantities. Based on his observations, Einstein created the quantum theory of light, which stated that electromagnetic radiation traveled as tiny packets of energy called quanta, or photons, that behaved like particles. Along with Max Planck's work on quanta of heat and Niels Bohr's later work on quanta of matter, Einstein's work on quanta of light provides the foundation for an revolutionary new idea: our whole universe is composed of tiny, discrete chunks of energy and matter.

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