Re: Heisenberg uncertainty principle for macroscopic objects

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA <narayana@HD1.VSNL.NET.IN>]

At 07:52 PM 12/17/99 +1100, you wrote:
> It's more years than I care to count since I studied (or taught) quantum
> mechanics, so I need a bit of help with a discussion I am having ... I
> had thought that the standard popular science type discussion of
> Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, where it is claimed that there is a
> ridiculously small but non-zero probability that an elephant could
> quantum-tunnel through a wall, was falacious because the uncertainty
> principle doesn't apply to a macroscopic, incoherent assembly of
> particles like an elephant. Am I wrong?

However ridiculously^n small may be the probability the point is that it
is possible. If my understanding of statistics is correct it is not always
necessary that events of small probability will occur only after a long
time. They can occur at any time including right at the beginning. It may be
possible that they may even be bunched. Who knows that they have not
already occured and we did not recognise them because of our rational
bigotary. They can occur today and they can occur tomorrow and then they
may not occur for
a long ...long.....long time.

regards,

sarma.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." (Albert Einstein)

> Cheers
> Margaret
>
> --
> Dr. Margaret Mazzolini
> Astronomy Course Coordinator
> Swinburne Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing
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