The Unmeasured State Of A Particle Viewed Through Systemic Functional Linguistics

Penrose (2004: 861-2):

To clarify this picture, we must recall carefully what Heisenberg’s uncertainty relations actually state. They do not tell us that there is something inherently ‘fuzzy’ or ‘incoherent’ in the way that nature behaves at the tiniest scales. Instead, Heisenberg uncertainty restricts the precision whereby two non-commuting measurements can be carried out. We recall that, for a single particle, both its position and momentum in some direction, being non-commuting, cannot be determined precisely at the same time, the product of their respective errors being not less than ½ħ. There is a perfectly well-defined quantum state, however, and if no actual measurement is performed, the state of the particle will evolve precisely, according to Schrödinger’s equation.

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From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, if no actual measurement is performed, then no construal of experience as a particle occurs. It is the potential state of the particle that evolves precisely according to Schrödinger’s equation.