Quantum Gravity 2

Points of tension

There are two other points of tension between quantum mechanics and general relativity.

* First, classical general relativity breaks down at singularities, and quantum mechanics becomes inconsistent with general relativity in the neighborhood of singularities (however, no one is certain that classical general relativity applies near singularities in the first place).

* Second, it is not clear how to determine the gravitational field of a particle, since under the Heisenberg uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics its location and velocity cannot be known with certainty. The resolution of these points may come from a better understanding of general relativity.

— Wikipedia on Quantum gravity

2010.06.03 Thursday ACHK