Quantum Leap

A "quantum leap" is, by definition, the smallest possible leap the leaper can make.

Remember this the next time you hear popular media describing some scientific advancement or new fashion trend as a "quantum leap"!

I thought that a quantum leap (in physics) is a change in the state of a system that seems to be discrete to the outsider. E.g. electrons orbiting a nucleus will always be found at specific distances from the nucleus; they cannot exist in-between. Nevertheless, an electron can go from one orbit to another. That's a quantum leap.

So by analogy, a "quantum leap" is a change that seems to happen without a transitional phase.

CategoryPhysics