<blockquote>
<p>I've watched a TED video about the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, but I couldn't fully understand it and I'm looking for a fairly easy explanation if possible.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A comment points to <a href="https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/229168/83380">Can the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle be explained intuitively?</a> and notably there are <em>17 answers there!</em> It is possible that a few will be helpful to any given person.</p>
<p>Quantum mechanics is a set of theories and equations that predicts remarkably well what happens. That doesn't mean that anybody actually <strong>understands</strong> it. Many people know how to use it, and many many more people kind-of know roughly how to use it. And at least 17 (if not 17,000) people think they know how to explain it.</p>
<p>But don't let them fool you.</p>
<p>Take it from the master explainer. Per Richard Feynman:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Nobody understands Quantum Mechanics!</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w3ZRLllWgHI?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<p>Feynman was amazing but human and flawed. <em>As smart as he was regarding physics, he didn't notice his own, profound sexist predispositions</em> (at least for the first part of his life).</p>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<p>They behave in a way, that is like nothing you've seen before! Your experience with things you've seen before is inadequate, incomplete...</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kekayfI8Ii8?start=210"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<hr />
<blockquote>
<p>The behavior of things that are small is so fantastic, is so wonderfully… different. So marvelously different than anything that behaves on a large scale.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BOLVuRgBh2M?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<hr />
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xdZMXWmlp9g?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-01T17:51:28.993Z
Down voters feel they're smarter than Feynman, feel that QM is easy to understand?
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-01T18:43:40.063Z
No. I downvoted for two reasons.  Firstly, it is an off topic question, with a good duplicate on physics. As per [answer] you should "save yourself some frustration and avoid trying to answer questions which ... are not about astronomy".  Secondly, this fails to answer the question, instead it just says "Nobody understands QM so don't bother"  This isn't a useful answer (-1)
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-01T19:12:05.117Z
@JamesK thanks for your candor! The first part seems petty and punitive "I didn't want the OP to receive any help here but you tried to help" Remember that if the question is migrated the answers go with it. The rest is flawed; I cite your linked Physics question and its *17 different answers* but I felt that Feynman does a better job than any contemporary TED talk. This is a good and helpful answer. QM needs a preamble like this before someone just starts 'esplainin it like it's east to understand. It's a rabbit hole.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-01T14:50:32.627Z
2021-05-30T23:07:16.743Z
2021-05-30T23:07:16.743Z
uhoh
<p>I'm a young student that's very curious about physics and especially some physics theories. I've watched a TED video about the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, but I couldn't fully understand it and I'm looking for a fairly easy explanation if possible.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-05-01T14:09:56.850Z
Perhaps someone can explain it, but you have chosen the wrong place to ask.  You should try [physics.se]  where it has already been answered https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/229168/can-the-heisenberg-uncertainty-principle-be-explained-intuitively
James K
<quantum-mechanics>
Can somebody explain heisenberg uncertainty principle to 14 year old me?
cloudy_morning
# Can somebody explain heisenberg uncertainty principle to 14 year old me?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-05-01)

I'm a young student that's very curious about physics and especially some physics theories. I've watched a TED video about the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, but I couldn't fully understand it and I'm looking for a fairly easy explanation if possible.

**Tags:** quantum-mechanics
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Perhaps someone can explain it, but you have chosen the wrong place to ask.  You should try [physics.se]  where it has already been answered https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/229168/can-the-heisenberg-uncertainty-principle-be-explained-intuitively  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-05-01. Score: 1

> I've watched a TED video about the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, but I couldn't fully understand it and I'm looking for a fairly easy explanation if possible.

A comment points to [Can the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle be explained intuitively?](https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/229168/83380) and notably there are *17 answers there!* It is possible that a few will be helpful to any given person.

Quantum mechanics is a set of theories and equations that predicts remarkably well what happens. That doesn't mean that anybody actually **understands** it. Many people know how to use it, and many many more people kind-of know roughly how to use it. And at least 17 (if not 17,000) people think they know how to explain it.

But don't let them fool you.

Take it from the master explainer. Per Richard Feynman:

> Nobody understands Quantum Mechanics!

Feynman was amazing but human and flawed. *As smart as he was regarding physics, he didn't notice his own, profound sexist predispositions* (at least for the first part of his life).

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> They behave in a way, that is like nothing you've seen before! Your experience with things you've seen before is inadequate, incomplete...

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> The behavior of things that are small is so fantastic, is so wonderfully… different. So marvelously different than anything that behaves on a large scale.

---

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Down voters feel they're smarter than Feynman, feel that QM is easy to understand?  
> **username_1**: No. I downvoted for two reasons.  Firstly, it is an off topic question, with a good duplicate on physics. As per [answer] you should "save yourself some frustration and avoid trying to answer questions which ... are not about astronomy".  Secondly, this fails to answer the question, instead it just says "Nobody understands QM so don't bother"  This isn't a useful answer (-1)  
> **username_2**: @JamesK thanks for your candor! The first part seems petty and punitive "I didn't want the OP to receive any help here but you tried to help" Remember that if the question is migrated the answers go with it. The rest is flawed; I cite your linked Physics question and its *17 different answers* but I felt that Feynman does a better job than any contemporary TED talk. This is a good and helpful answer. QM needs a preamble like this before someone just starts 'esplainin it like it's east to understand. It's a rabbit hole.  

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