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The more general uncertainty principle, regarding Fourier transforms

3Blue1Brown · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Information theory & signal processingQuantum physicsRecreational & visual math

What it is

3Blue1Brown shows how the uncertainty principle arises from Fourier transforms. A wave packet cannot be narrow in both position and frequency, so the principle is a property of waves rather than of measurement.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it as the clearest visual explanation that uncertainty is intrinsic to waves, separate from measurement disturbance.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2019, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “The clearest, most intuitive explanation of the Fourier Uncertainty Principle that I have come across is by Grant Sanderson of 3Blue1Brown.”

    Clearest intuitive explanation of Fourier uncertainty principle

    Cadwhisker, 2024-09 · Strong recommendation · in “The Fourier Uncertainty Principles [pdf] (2021)”

  2. “3Blue1Brown has an extremely good explanation[1] of the intrinsic uncertainty, and why it's separate from measurement uncertainty.”

    Explains intrinsic uncertainty as wave packet tradeoff, separate from measurement

    pdkl95, 2019-04 · Recommendation · in “Why have so many physicists shrugged off the paradoxes of quantum mechanics?”

  3. “3blue1brown did a nice video on this”

    Shows uncertainty principle as a property of waves, not observation

    chriswarbo, 2019-04 · Recommendation · in “Why have so many physicists shrugged off the paradoxes of quantum mechanics?”

  4. “3blue1brown has an excellent two-video visual explanation [1][2]”

    Visual explanation of uncertainty principle via Fourier analysis

    Kednicma, 2020-06 · Recommendation · in “A Physicist Trying to Fix Quantum Mechanics”

  5. “(3b1b on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and how it arises)”

    Shows how Heisenberg uncertainty arises from waves

    uoaei, 2021-01 · Recommendation · in “Is the Schrödinger Equation True?”

  6. “So there's an uncertainty principle for signal processing, entirely because of the fourier transform and not because of quantum mechanics”

    Uncertainty principle follows from Fourier transform, not just quantum mechanics

    nextaccountic, 2023-12 · Recommendation · in “An Interactive Guide to the Fourier Transform”

  7. “It's easier to see why if you think about Fourier transforms”

    Explains why position and momentum info cannot coexist via Fourier

    ben_w, 2025-08 · Recommendation · in “Project Hyperion: Interstellar ship design competition”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: fourier transform, uncertainty principle, wave packets, quantum mechanics, signal processing, 3blue1brown

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