The Birthday of Werner Heisenberg (1901) – Uncertainty Principle

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle: Δx Δp ≥ ℏ/2. It is a mathematical consequence of wave‑particle duality (Fourier transform: a narrow wave packet in position has wide spread in momentum). It limits what we can know simultaneously. Heisenberg also developed matrix mechanics (the first complete formulation of quantum mechanics). The uncertainty principle is often misapplied (e.g., to everyday objects), but it is fundamental to quantum theory. Mathematics tells us that nature has a built‑in limit to precision.