Re: The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

[StrigoiVii@aol.com]

The original question by Nicholas Gardener on 12/01/01 was:

>>  <<the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle states there is a degree of 
>>   uncertainty when dealing with measurements because you cannot intrude 
upon a 
>>   system without disturbing it.>>

>>1.  I'm looking for an example on how this deals with biological systems.  
>>Does anyone have one?

>>2.  Are there exceptions to "hup" in scientific fields?

The interpretation of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle as being simply 
that "you cannot make measurements of a system without disturbing it" misses 
the point that quantum physics is a vast departure from classical physics.

But the uncertainties involved in quantum mechanics mainly apply at the 
microscopic level of atoms and subatomic particles.  At larger levels 
involving a great number of atoms, we can take a statistical average.  The 
larger the system,
the closer we come to where these averages match what we expect from the 
predictions of classical physics.

Regarding biological systems, the most interesting speculations involving the 
peculiarities of quantum physics 
suggest that they somehow play a special role in the human brain.  (The 
brains of other animals are usually not mentioned.)  The earliest of such 
speculations was that quantum physics allowed for the "free will" of the 
"spiritual soul" to operate in the brain, making conscious decisions without 
violating the laws of physics. There have been more sophisticated theories 
proposed which try to make a connection between various workings of the human 
brain (including the experience of conciousness) and quantum physics.  But, 
so far as I know, there is no real physical evidence that supports any of 
these theories.

Patrick Johnson
StrigoiVii@aol.com