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Strictly speaking, precisely nothing. However, there is a dimensionless constant that happens to have a value close to 1/137 (but not exactly). For some years it was thought that it was exactly 1/137, and the myth has stuck.

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The number 137 is known as the fine-structure constant, a dimensionless physical constant that plays a key role in quantum mechanics. It describes the strength of electromagnetic interactions between elementary charged particles and is fundamental to explaining the behavior of atoms and light. The significance of 137 lies in its mysterious appearance in various physical equations and its influence on the structure of matter at the quantum level.

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Q: What does the number 137 have to do with quantum mechanics?
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