The physicists of the early 20th century were unaware of two aspects whichare vital to understanding some aspects of modern physics within classicaltheory. The two aspects are: 1) the presence of classical electromagneticzero-point radiation, and 2) the importance of special relativity. In classesin modern physics today, the problem of atomic collapse is still mentioned inthe historical context of the early 20th century. However, the classicalproblem of atomic collapse is currently being treated in the presence ofclassical zero-point radiation where the problem has been transformed. Thepresence of classical zero-point radiation indeed keeps the electron fromfalling into the Coulomb potential center. However, the old collapse problemhas been replaced by a new problem where the zero-point radiation may give toomuch energy to the electron so as to cause self-ionization. Special relativitymay play a role in understanding this modern variation on the atomic collapseproblem, just as relativity has proved crucial for a classical understanding ofblackbody radiation.
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