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If we look at the way the universe behaves, quantum mechanics gives us fundamental, unavoidable indeterminacy, so that alternative histories of the universe can be assigned probability.
Murray Gell-Mann
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The universe operates on principles of uncertainty, allowing for multiple possible outcomes to exist simultaneously.

Murray Gell-Mann's quote highlights the concept of indeterminacy in quantum mechanics, which suggests that events on a fundamental level do not have definitive outcomes, but rather a range of probabilities. This nature of the universe implies that alternative histories or scenarios can coexist, reflecting the complexity and unpredictability of reality in the realm of quantum physics.

Themes

Quantum MechanicsIndeterminacyProbabilityUniversePhysics

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on quantum physics, the quote can be used to illustrate the fundamental principles of uncertainty.

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Just because things get a little dingy at the subatomic level doesn't mean all bets are off.
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What is especially striking and remarkable is that in fundamental physics a beautiful or elegant theory is more likely to be right than a theory that is inelegant.
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