Mark Buchanan reports in "Instant Expert: Quantum World," a feature in New Scientist that at its deepest level, nature is random and unpredictable.

That, most physicists would say, is the unavoidable lesson of quantum theory. Try to track the location of an electron and you'll find only a probability that it is here or there. Measure the spin of an atom and all you get is a 50:50 chance that it is up or down. Watch a photon hit a glass plate and it will either pass through or be reflected, but it's impossible to know which without measuring it.

Teachers of all levels, from PK up, will find this expert guide useful as a reference for understanding contemporary scientific research. It clarifies theories and facts about quantum physics in high school level vocabulary accessible to students and others who take the time to review it.

Thanks, Mark, for bringing these papers together so we may glimpse sophisticated physics research that influences our daily lives.


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