The Scientific Value of Ignorance - WSJ

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/science/physics/the-scientific-value-of-ignorance-79f337d0 By Frank Wilczek Aug. 31, 2023 2:00 pm ET Listen (3 min) In George Orwell’s novel “1984,” “Ignorance is Strength” is a shocking slogan that epitomizes a corrupt and sinister regime. But in a more nuanced form, “Ignorance can be Strength,” it is an apt slogan for some cutting-edge science. Used wisely, ignorance can be a superpower that makes our senses more acute and our minds more capacious (through measuring devices and computers, respectively). This seeming paradox is rooted in the nature of quantum reality, which imposes a fundamental limitation on our knowledge of the properties of any object. Given perfect theoretical

saved by

• Matthew Pang