Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

For particle physics, this was the problem of determining the state of a particle (electron, etc.) at any given moment. The problem arises experimentally as, in order to determine the state of any particle, we (the observers) must look at it. In order to see it, we must bombard it with photons. The interaction of photons with the sub-atomic particles changes the state of the particle leading us to the ironic conclusion that it is impossible for an observer to determine experimentally the state of any particle. Thus, for Heisenberg, physicists can only predict the probabilities of where or what the given state of a particle would be. Particles thus exist in a fog of probabilities. It was this theorem that led to Einstein's famous quip that "God does not play dice."

The uncertainly principle does not limit the precision with which either the particle's momentum or its position may be measured, but only the precision which with both may be measured simultaneously. This uncertainty is expressed mathematically as

$(\Delta X)(\Delta p_{x})>=\eta /2\pi$

where

$\Delta X$ indicates uncertainty in the measurement of position $\Delta p_{x}$ is the uncertainty in the momentum measurement. </math>\eta<math> is Plank's constant.

In other fields, such as the behavioral sciences, this principle also applies. For anthropologists studying the interactions of social groups, interactions may change as a result of the researcher's presence. For psychologists studying individual behavior, reasons and actions may change because the individual knows he/she is being observed.