Re: Particle Position

[Ron Ebert <ebert@CITRUS.UCR.EDU>]

At 08:03 PM 5/9/99 -0600, Jim Green wrote:

> We all understand that the position and momentum of a particle must satisfy
> the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.   But what does this mean?  Is it
> that _I_ can not know x & p with better precision?   ---  that the
> infinitesimal _particle_ "knows" exactly where it is and how fast it is
> going but  an observer can not -- ie that the particle does indeed have an
> exact locations and velocity, but the observer just can't know what it is?

Among the many good replies to Jim's question, I think an important point
was missed. We now have experimental verification that there are no hidden
variables. A particle doesn't "know" where it is and how fast it is going.
There are no "things that are real, but hidden from our sight" that tell it
these things. These dynamic attributes are truly indeterminate before
measurement.

Bell's inequality is violated in experiments. This could not happen
assuming locality and hidden variables. And it doesn't help to assume
non-locality and hidden variables, because then the hidden variables become
moot, as potentially any influence anywhere in the universe could affect
the value of the dynamic attributes instant to instant.


Ron Ebert
ron.ebert@ucr.edu
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"Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for
knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by
examination of the best available evidence and always subject to
correction and improvement upon discovery of better evidence.  What's
left is magic. And it doesn't work."
                                           -- James Randi