The anthill revisited

Posted by Bob on December 02, 2005

In Reply to: Lament from the anthill posted by Bob on November 24, 2005

: : : If quantum physics concern "small things", why is the term quantum leap mean a huge leap?

: : If you are by any chance thinking of the TV show, "quantum leap" means an abrupt change of one state to another without any observable transition. This is obviously a transferred or figurative use of the concept of the same name in particle physics or quantum mechanics. From the OED: "quantum increase, a sudden large increase; cf. quantum jump; quantum jump, an abrupt transition between one stationary state of a quantized system and another, with the absorption or emission of a quantum; also transf., a sudden large increase or advance; quantum leap, a sudden large advance; cf. quantum jump...." I trust this is helpful. SS

: Ah. I think I get it::

: Oh, fellow ants, behold my chum,
: Crushed to death by falling crumb.
: That giant man who did the deed
: Was not aware. He paid no heed.
: So small for him, so huge for me,
: A question of relativity.
: A tiny harm, so very quantum,
: Big for my heart. Don't wantum.
: bob

Clean-up edits.