Why uncertainty is part of science - especially quantum mechanics

ONE of the challenges of teaching is picking a textbook because finding one that is reasonably priced and at the right level for my students is hard. And the more advanced a topic is, the more likely it is to include areas that are the subject of current research, where thinking is changing in real time.

Textbooks are designed to teach a subject as if it is understood, to have an authority that gives students confidence in the contents. This method of learning, while useful for helping people get a sense of the ideas at hand, can also give the …