The more precisely the position is determined, the less precisely the momentum is known in this instant, and vice versa. -- Werner Heisenberg, 1927

If we will only allow that, as we progress, we remain unsure, we will leave opportunities for alternatives. We will not become enthusiastic for the fact, the knowledge, the absolute truth of the day, but remain always uncertain... In order to make progress, one must leave the door to the unknown ajar. -- Richard Feynman

In A Nutshell: We can never know exactly both the location and the speed of a particle. The more precisely we know one of those traits, the more uncertain we will be about the other.

In The Lab

Uncertainty Principle - This video demonstrates it in action.

Heisenburg's Uncertainty Principle - a brief explanation of one of the basic principles of quantum mechanics.

In The World

Life Is Unpredictable - Get Used To It (pdf) - An interview in New Science of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of the book Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable.

Biological Warfare and the “Buffy Paradigm” - Drawing on a popular TV series, this article discusses how to deal with the many uncertainties presented by biological warfare. (pdf)

© Dave Higgins