Look Who it Was Random video

Quantum Mechanics: The certainty and uncertainty principle, the "method" 2 of 3

1,807 views · Published 29 January 2011 · 25:59 · Indexed 18 October 2026

Channel: Doug Sweetser · 2011 · Science & Technology

Watch on YouTube

Day 2 of the Animating New Physics project, an Independent Activities Period at MIT event done independently by The Stand-Up Physicist Doug Sweetser, class of '84.

The certainty and uncertainty principles of calculus are the result of the product rule of calculus, nothing more or less.  While this is known, philosopher-types get more press.  The "method" is a way to transform regular quantum field theory into quaternion quantum field theory. 

Why is quantum mechanics weird?  A new explanation is provided that is based on doing Newtonian calculus correctly in Einstein's spacetime via quaternions.

Div, grad, curl and all that live in the house of quaternions. Four simple rules will be used to rewrite well-know physics equations with quaternions: 1) keep 4-vectors together 2) drop all factors of i 3) write all constants 4) make equations dimensionless. This approach will be applied to Newton's second law, the uncertainty principle, the Schrodinger wave equation, the Klein-Gordon equation and the Dirac equation. The links between these vital equations are clearer when the same algebra tools are used consistently. Using quaternion animations, a visual understanding of the differences between classical physics, quantum mechanics, and quantum field theory will be supplied.

More from this channel