Besides the fact that you can never predict where it will turn up next, what's the other amazing fact about the electron? (Actually, there are two).

Catty

144

Electrons, though attracted to protons in an atom's nucleus, never touch the nucleus.

The energy in electrons is quantized - that is, they come in fixed steps rather than being infinitely variable. Electrons farther from a nucleus have more energy, the energy being required to pull away from the nucleus.

Very good, 'fuse, but there's also this: an electron does not appear to exist until someone observes it. Also, it can change orbits without crossing any intervening space which blew my mind, a bit. It appears to come and go into and out of existence - strange!

Catty

As interesting as those are, they are both true of any matter, from quarks to galaxies. They are just easier to notice with small objects like quarks, electrons, protons, neutrons, and the like.

"...an electron does not appear to exist until someone observes it."

I don't understand this, unless the meaning is the same as with many things; i.e. unknown things don't "exist" until they are known. (It was a fact that Pluto didn't exist until it was discovered; then it did. Mules couldn't reproduce; and then one did.) If, in the general usage of the words, electrons don't exist until they are observed, them, for 99% of human history, they didn't exist. Is that true? Is that possible? If not, why not?


If the quoted statement is true, obviously, I am missing something. What don't I understand?