The Heisenberg uncertainty principle, a tenet of quantum mechanics, has been demonstrated at scales visible to the naked eye. The research, described in the Feb. 15 Science, could help scientists detect minuscule perturbations in the fabric of space caused by merging black holes.
“The uncertainty principle has been demonstrated in many different ways, but to see it on a visible mechanical object is totally awesome,” says Keith Schwab, a physicist at Caltech who was not involved in the research.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.