Atoms Quote by Werner Heisenberg
![“[T]he atoms or elementary particles themselves are not real; they form a world of potentialities or possibilities rather than one of things or facts.” quote by Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1ee/werner-heisenberg-4501_atoms_t-he-atoms-or-elementary-particles-thems_842631.jpg)
“[T]he atoms or elementary particles themselves are not real; they form a world of potentialities or possibilities rather than one of things or facts.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Quantum Mechanics, University of Leipzig, 1927
Elementary particles are not fixed entities but exist as possibilities until measured, shaping reality.
In simple terms: Particles are potentialities, not definite things.
Key Takeaway
Embrace uncertainty in scientific inquiry.
Themes
quantum physics
uncertainty
philosophy of science
Mood
curious
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
scientific
When to use this quote
- laboratory experiments
- theoretical modeling
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
wavefunction
measurement problem
probability
Questions to Reflect On
- What does "potentiality" mean for everyday decisions?
- How does uncertainty affect confidence?
A Different Perspective
Interpretations vary; some argue particles have hidden properties.
![“It was about three o'clock at night when the final result of the calculation [which gave birth to quantum mechanics] lay before me ... At first I was deeply shaken ... I was so excited that I could not think of sleep. So I left the house ... and awaited the sunrise on top of a rock.” quote by Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bba/werner-heisenberg-4501_birth_it-was-about-three-o-clock-at-night-when_265746.jpg)
![“[Decoding the human genome sequence] is the most significant undertaking that we have mounted so far in an organized way in all of science. I believe that reading our blueprints, cataloguing our own instruction book, will be judged by history as more significant than even splitting the atom or…” quote by Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5c6/francis-collins-5281_atoms_decoding-the-human-genome-sequence-is-th_15604.jpg)
