Introduction
What is the effect of something moving faster than the speed of light? This is an interesting question we will answer in a while, but before that, let's look at one more aspect of our microscopic world. Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976), a German physicist who is regarded as the creator of Quantum Mechanics, contributed immensely to its development. The Uncertainty Principle, named after him, underpins the entire absurdity associated with Quantum Mechanics. Stated in a simple and elegant way, it exposes the ultimate limit of precision with which we humans live.
What Is Causality Effect?
The Uncertainty Principle states that we cannot measure the position and speed of a sub-atomic particle such as an electron at the same time and accurately enough. If we measure the position (location) of an electron accurately, then its speed measurement will be less accurate. Likewise, measuring its speed accurately will result in some error in measuring its position. There is a fundamental limit imposed by nature on the accuracy with which we can measure both the position and speed of the particle.
It is easy to measure the exact speed and position of a billiard ball or your speeding car, based on the simple principles of classical mechanics. You can also measure the speed and position at every moment, of a tennis ball tossed into the air, from the time it is thrown up till it hits the ground and stops rolling. This is because we know all the initial parameters and conditions prevailing in this scenario. The tennis ball moves in a deterministic manner. But if you pack several tennis balls or billiard balls into a large metal box which is continuously shaken in a random way, it would be difficult to measure the position and speed of every ball jumping around inside the box. This is a problem similar to the problem in measuring the exact position and speed of sub-atomic particles at the same time. When you confine gas in a box, the molecules or atoms of gas, are constantly in random motion, so it becomes impossible to measure the accurate speed and position of these moving atoms. When you go down to the level of electrons inside the atoms, the picture becomes all the more hazy or blurred. These electrons are always jiggling and never in one place. In fact, the closer you move to an electron, the more jittery it becomes and starts jiggling even harder, making it impossible to measure its speed and position. To stress the point further, sub-atomic particles don't like intruders. The moment we try to probe and approach them too close, their jitters become uncontrollable. They just don't seem to stick to one place or move with one speed. If you shine a light on a moving electron to determine its position and speed, the very act of shining the light (which is made of photons), will disturb the electrons by its impact and jerks, making accurate measurements impossible.
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