hidden variables

Hidden variables are unknown factors that influence the outcome of an experiment or a system but are not directly observed or measurable. In physics, particularly in quantum mechanics, they refer to underlying properties that determine particle behavior but are hidden from our current measurements. The concept suggests that if we knew these hidden variables, we could predict outcomes with certainty rather than probability. This idea challenges the intrinsic randomness proposed by quantum theory, though most modern physics supports that some aspects genuinely are inherently unpredictable.