From: George Murphy (gmurphy@raex.com)
Date: Tue Jul 08 2003 - 06:46:42 EDT
Gary Collins wrote:
....................
> Q2) Is this not an assumption? I remember reading somewhere (don't ask
> me where now!!!) that space itself might be quantized; i.e. that there might
> be a minimum quantum length. Might this not also apply to angular measure?
> If so, again, it would alter the answer numerically but maybe not in principle.
> Same may possibly apply to your (2), (3) and (4) (which I have trimmed out)
> - or no?
The uncertainty principle says that the accuracy of a clock is inversely
proportional to its energy, while general relativity says that the gravitational
effect of energy (aka mass) changes the rate at which clocks run. If these effects are
combined you find that for time intervals ~10^-43 sec the uncertainty in measurement is
of the order of the measurement itself, so intervals smaller than this - or the
corresponding length ~10^-33 cm - cant be measured. The classical concepts of space and
time lose their meaning below this "Planck length." But I don't see right offhand that
this would require a limit on angular measurements.
Shalom,
George
George L. Murphy
gmurphy@raex.com
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
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