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Single Idea 20650

[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 7. Eliminating causation ]

Full Idea

The Uncertainty Principle implied that in the subatomic world cause and effect could never be measured.

Gist of Idea

The Uncertainty Principle implies that cause and effect can't be measured

Source

Peter Watson (Convergence [2016], 05 'Against')

Book Ref

Watson,Peter: 'Convergence' [Simon and Schuster 2016], p.134


A Reaction

The fact that it can't be measured does not, presumably, entail that it doesn't exist. Physicists seem to ignore causation, rather than denying it. Can causation be real if it only exists at the macro-level, as an emergent phenomenon?


The 11 ideas from 'Convergence'

The interference of light through two slits confirmed that it is waves [Watson]
The Uncertainty Principle implies that cause and effect can't be measured [Watson]
The shape of molecules is important, as well as the atoms and their bonds [Watson]
In 1828 the animal substance urea was manufactured from inorganic ingredients [Watson]
Only four particles are needed for matter: up and down quark, electron, electron-neutrino [Watson]
Humans have been hunter-gatherers for 99.5% of their existence [Watson]
Traditional ideas of the mind were weakened in the 1950s by mind-influencing drugs [Watson]
There are 23 core brain functions, with known circuit, transmitters, genes and behaviour [Watson]
Information is physical, and living can be seen as replicating and preserving information [Watson]
Electrons rotate in hyrogen atoms 10^13 times per second [Watson]
Quantum theory explains why nature is made up of units, such as elements [Watson]