Questions Without Answer

Daddy,' she says, 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?'

Steadfastly, even desperately, we have been refusing to commit ourselves. But our questioner is insistent. The truth alone will satisfy her. Nothing less. At long last we gather up courage and issue our solemn pronouncement on the subject: 'Yes!'

So it is here.

'Daddy, is it a wave or a particle?' 'Yes.'

'Daddy, is the electron here or is it there?'

'Yes.'

'Daddy, do scientists really know what they are talking about?'

'Yes!'

Banesh Hoffmann, The strange story of the quantum (1959-06-01)

• conundrums
• questions