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Quantum Mechanical indeterminacy, or often just "quantum indeterminacy" refers to the same fundamental physics phenomenon as does the more frequently used Heisenberg uncertainty principle.

Quantum uncertainty is usually described in terms of a particle with a definitely measured momentum for which there must be a fundamental limit to how precisely its location can be specified. This quantum uncertainty principle can be expressed in terms of other variables, for example, a particle with a definitely measured energy has a fundamental limit to how precisely one can specify how long it will have that energy. The units involved in quantum uncertainty are on the order of Planck's constant (found experimentally to be 6.6 x 10 J·s).

Quantum indeterminacy is usually mentioned when one is concerned with the predictability of events. For example, predictability explicitly arises in the context of the type of determinism that has been called Scientific determinism. Some philosophers have tried to identify the basic types of indeterminacy that underly the inability of humans to predict the future. Four types of indeterminacy are:

• quantum indeterminacy
• indeterminacy due to chaos as described in chaos theory
• indeterminacy caused by limited powers of observation
• limitations due to the nature of human memory and thought processes

Within most interpretations of quantum mechanics, it is fundamentally unavoidable. The existence of quantum indeterminacy was deeply troubling to Albert Einstein who proposed hidden variable theory to address what he considered to be a defect. These theories have since proven problematic.

See also

• Mind-body problem
• Quantum mind

• Quantum mechanics