Yes, according to the principles of quantum mechanics, there is inherent uncertainty about what will happen next at the microscopic level. This principle is known as the uncertainty principle, which was first formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1927.
The uncertainty principle states that certain pairs of physical properties, such as position and momentum, cannot both be precisely determined simultaneously with arbitrary accuracy. In other words, the more precisely we try to measure one property of a particle, the less precisely we can know the value of its complementary property.
For example, if we try to measure the position of a particle very accurately, the uncertainty principle tells us that the momentum of the particle becomes uncertain. Similarly, if we try to measure the momentum of a particle precisely, the position becomes uncertain. This inherent uncertainty arises from the wave-like nature of particles at the quantum level.
This means that even if we know the initial conditions of a system, we cannot predict with certainty what will happen in the future. Instead, quantum mechanics provides a probabilistic framework where we can calculate the probability distribution of various outcomes. The actual outcome of an experiment or observation is determined randomly from this distribution.
It's important to note that the uncertainty principle applies at the microscopic level and becomes negligible at larger scales. The effects of quantum uncertainty are typically not noticeable in our everyday macroscopic world but become significant when dealing with individual particles, atoms, or molecules.