4 ms·
Many physicists believe that no singularity can phisically exist in nature and that they are just our lack of a better theory.
by soundarana 3y ago
Many physicists believe that no singularity can phisically exist in nature and that they are just our lack of a better theory.
- boxed 3y agoIsn't an electron a singularity in this kind of sense? A mathematical point with some fields, and a certain mass.
- layer8 3y agoAn electron is a fluctuation of the electron field, not a singular point.
- boxed 3y agoIt certainly acts like a singular point if you measure it and have it scatter on stuff...
- layer8 3y agoThe electron wavelength is around 4 picometers at low energies. The wavelength also imposes a limit on the resolution of electron microscopy, for example. The wavelengths are really small, but they are not zero.
- boxed 3y agoSure, but when an electron hits a surface (like a detector), it doesn't hit it with a splotch of 4 picometer in size, it hits it as a dot (as far as one can measure, given the uncertainty principle)... right? Same as any photon.
- mattsan 3y agoI believe the word you're looking for is quantum - the "point" still has a radius, a singularity does not.
- naasking 3y agoThat was the old thinking. Turns out it leads to divergences which was one of the difficulties that quantum theory overcame. Baez has a good overview of these kinds of problems: Struggles with the Continuum, https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.01421 https://arxiv.org/abs/1609.01421 Lots of issues spring from unphysical assumptions like continuous quantities, point-like objects and infinities. Quantum mechanics was the first step towards more discrete formalisms, and I think future physics will take further steps in this direction to eliminate these issues.