The Wavefunction

The wavefunction squared equals the probability of a particle's existence in a particular location in spacetime. Furthermore, as we are composed of particles we can be described by a certain wavefunction. As peculiar as this may sound, it is actually common knowledge among the physics crowd that this is the case.

Particles have both a position and momentum, which obey the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This equation tells us that we can never know both with absolute certainty the position and momentum of a particle. There is a quantum factor, known as Planck's constant, which is astoundingly small, yet appears to show that out universe is composed of discrete sums of allowable distances and momentums. The greater one knows the position of something, the less they know of it's momentum, and vice versa. While this is usually associated with the subatomic world, there really doesn't seem to be a limit on why this wouldn't apply to the the macroscopic world of people, plants, and planets. So what is the wavefunction? It is an equation that describes the aforementioned position of an object. The equation involves complex number, which are composed of a real part and an imaginary (square root of a negative) component.

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Some believe that it is simply an extremely accurate tool that describes the behavior of the subatomic world and their are others that believe it is the true nature of reality. Think of a cloud of probability, where something may be located. Perhaps it traces out a sphere, or maybe a more bizarre shape like a torus or a dumbbell. At each pixel in your picture there is a number which you can associate a probability. Why is it that nature exists in this way?

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Why do scientists believe it to be true? One such argument come from the early cartoon pictures of an atom being composed of a nucleus with an electron orbiting around like a planet orbiting a star. If this were really the case, atoms would almost immediately collapse. The attractive force of electromagnetism would mean the the negatively charged electron would be pulled towards the nucleus and give off energy. There are many fascinating repercussions when we start to see things in a more wavy way.

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