Bulletin Special Supplement Nov 1970

The unce rta in ty p rinc ip le states th a t there is a lim ita tio n in our ab ilities to determine things. I f a t any time, we can accurate ly determine the position o f any subject, then a t the same time, because o f the position determ ina tion, the momentum o f th a t ob ject necessarily becomes indeterm ina te. F o r usual objects, i f the momentum is inde te r m inate, then its ve loc ity is inde te rm ina te , and i f its ve locity is inde te r minate, then i t wou ld be impossible to p red ic t its fu tu re course. S im ila rly , i f a t any time we can accura te ly determ ine the momentum o f any object, then according to the “ unce rta in ty p rin c ip le ", a t the same time its position must become uncertain, and the re fo re it is also no t possible to p red ic t its fu tu re . The “ unce rta in ty p rin c ip le " points out th a t in any de term ina tion o f the configurations o f any object, i t is necessary to in te rac t w ith th a t object. This in te rac tion necessarily produces a disturbance on the ob ject wh ich produces the unce rta in ty. No m a tte r how ca re fu l one performs the experiment, there must be a m in imum amount o f unce r ta in ties ； th is m in imum amount can be accurate ly p redicted by quantum mechanics. This p red ic tion has been ve rified to be co rrect th rough numerous experiments. This m in imum amount o f unce rta in ty is ne ithe r dependent o f the ob ject th a t is being measured, nor o f the person who is doing the experiment. Therefore , the “ unce rta in ty p rin c ip le " is regarded as a universal p rinc ip le , app licab le to a ll phenomena in nature. Th rough quantum mechanics, we can accurate ly p red ic t only the p ro b a b ility o f any event. Thus, we can never con tro l everything. S im ila rly , our fu tu re is" also no t comp lete ly determ ined by our past. From a philosophical po in t o f view, there are some s im ila rities between th is p a rtic u la r concept o f modern physics and the Chinese concept o f “ Ta i Chi” and “ Y ing Y ang ". Fo r th is reason, Professor N iels Boh r o f Denmark, the founde r o f quantum theory, chose the Chinese “ Ta i Chi” symbol fo r his coat o f arms. W h ile Professor Bohr le ft us a few years ago, his shield and his " Ta i Ch i” emblem rema in in the old F riede rich Castle in Denmark, symbo lizing the un ifica tion o f two cultures, wh ich coincides w ith the s p irit o f The Chinese U n ive rs ity o f Hong Kong. I am, indeed, fo rtuna te to have th is oppo rtun ity to ta lk to you. I am p a rtic u la rly de ligh ted to see the large number o f talen ts cu ltiva ted by The Chinese Un ive rsity, and everyone is look ing fo rw a rd to see the generations and generations o f scholars th a t w ill come ou t o f th is g rea t Un ive rs ity to lig h t up a new to rch in the c iv iliza tion o f the w o rld . — 1 1 —