Using everyday macroscopic entities as guiding examples, we clarify the content of two important results of the beginning of twentieth century: Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen's reality criterion and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. We then use them in combination to conclude that our widespread belief in the existence of microscopic particles is only the result of a cognitive illusion, as microscopic entities are not particles, but are instead the ephemeral spatial and local manifestations of non-spatial and non-local quantum fields.

Sassoli de Bianchi, M. (2011). Ephemeral properties and the illusion of microscopic particles. Found. of Sci. 16, pp. 393-409. Doi: 10.1007/s10699-011-9227-x.

Also published in Italian in: ​AutoRicerca 2, 2011, pp. 39-76.