Heisenberg and his Principle (and how it relates to paleontology)

["Steve Brusatte" <dinoland@lycos.com>]

Regarding Heisenberg's principle, I agree with many that have already expressed 
their views that this principle, sensu stricto, does not really related to 
paleontology in the way that it was expressed in Jurassic Park.  

Heisenberg's principle, as I understand it, relates directly to quantum 
mechanics, not classical mechanics.  Classical physics sets no limit on the 
accuracy of measurements of the momentum or position of a particle, but quantum 
physics does.  Heisenberg showed, using many experiments using microscopes and 
measuring atoms, that the measurement itself does affect and in fact disturb 
the system being measured.  This is where Planck's constant, which defines the 
extent of this uncertainty of measurement, comes in.  This constant is so small 
that the uncertainty of measurement is only significant when extremely small 
quantities are measured, which leads me to believe that such uncertainty has no 
significance when something as large as bones are measured.  

Now, when conducting isotope ratios and chemical composition tests of dinosaur 
bones or any fossil, the extremely small size of the quantities being measured 
may be significant, and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle may play a role.  Of 
course, this only relates to a very small branch of paleontology.  

There may be a vernacular expression regarding Heisenberg's Uncertainty 
Principle, but sensu stricto this principle isn't very significant when it 
comes to most branches of paleontology.

Steve

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Steve Brusatte-DINO LAND PALEONTOLOGY
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