Recently I’ve had discussions with folks regarding the application of measurement uncertainty to general measurement results and in the calibration of gages and instruments. In summary, I think we’ve agreed to disagree on some key aspects of it all and no one has declared outright war on anyone. But then I haven’t checked the property around my company for gun emplacements or land mines, so I may be up for stronger expressions of opinions in the future.
Before I get into hand-to-hand combat on this gentle reader, I thought it might be helpful to explain a few things about what uncertainty is, and what it is not.