Ian Pitchford

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If I try to measure precisely the coordinates of one of the electrons inside my dice, then, as the error in the coordinates goes down, this has to be paid for by an associated uncertainty in the momentum and hence energy. Heisenberg’s equations tell me the mathematical relationship between the trade-off. But there is an extra twist. Since energy and mass are related by Einstein’s equation E = mc2, if the energy is high enough it can lead to the spontaneous creation of new particles. The trouble is that if I am trying to pin down the location of a particle and by doing that I create lots more ...more
What We Cannot Know: Explorations at the Edge of Knowledge
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