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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!whuxlb!gummo!wje
From: wje@gummo.UUCP (W. J. Eagan)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: quantum leap
Message-ID: <824@gummo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Jul-83 09:42:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: gummo.824
Posted: Mon Jul 25 09:42:41 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 25-Jul-83 13:17:19 EDT
Organization: Bell Labs, Whippany
Lines: 5

I have heard celebrities and politicians use the phrase "quantum leap" or
"quantum jump" to refer to a big change, in policy for instance. Where and
when did quantum become associated with bigness? A quantum might have
a quality of discreteness, but not size. Is this a misnomer used by those
with no knowledge of quantum physics?