[sdiy] Is everything digital?

[Glen]

I know that lots of the elder engineers like to remind the young digital
whipersnappers that "it's all analog", just to see that puzzled look on
their faces.  :)

On a certain level, the elder engineers are totally correct, and it's not
my point to argue that.

However, if voltage is caused by an imbalance of electrons between two
physical locations, and if electrons are discrete units which can be
counted, then wouldn't it be reasonable to say there should be a discrete
number of steps between let's say 1 volt and 2 volts? To go from 1 volt, to
2 volts, aren't we simply increasing the imbalance of electrons by a
certain discrete number of electrons? If so, then there are only so many
different unique voltage levels between 1 and 2 volts. This would make
voltage purely a digital property.

This brings another disturbing concept:  Can we have things such as a 1/3
electron? What about a 3.1416.... electron? Aren't they all the same, as
far as our human minds have been able to differentiate? Can we know for
certain that "all electrons are created equal"?


take care,
Glen