Re: Quantum Leap

[John Cooper <jcooper@BUCKNELL.EDU>]

On Tue, 28 Sep 1999, Jim Green wrote:

> What do you suppose it the rationale for using the phrase "quantum leap" to
              ^^^^^^^  No rationale; I doubt it was a conscious or
deliberate decision, but a possible mechanism:

> mean a BIG change?

  Originally the emphasis of 'quantum jump' was on 'jump', the
discontinuity in available values of the energy.  In the uninitiated mind,
leap is about the same as jump and a little less common word, so the
language morphed .. to sound more arcane?  leaps are larger than jumps?
Of course in advertising and other popular appropriations of technical
jargon for other purposes, the size, not the fact, of the discontinuity
became principal: 'size' matters, etc.  The notion of discontinuity
remains but the gap has widened to matters more germane to moving products
off shelves for example.

 John N. Cooper, Chemistry
 Bucknell University
 Lewisburg PA 17837-2005
 jcooper@bucknell.edu
 http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/jcooper
 VOX 570-577-3673    FAX 570-577-1739