Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Monday, July 23 2012 @ 03:16 PM CDT

You can influence not only the future behavior of a particle, but also the past behavior. A spinning particle shows its "up" side only every other rotation. If you reverse the spin of a particle in New York, it can cause a particle in San Francisco to also reverse its spin.

Whew! So much to try and wrap your head around.

What do y'all think?

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Monday, July 23 2012 @ 03:39 PM CDT

Hapgood is a terrific play by Tom Stoppard that does a great job parsing quantum physics in a colloquial format.
It deals with cold war espionage - in a way that suggests tat a double agent may be similar to a particle that can be both wave and particle at the same time. Or neither when observed.
Worth checking out.

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Monday, July 23 2012 @ 04:43 PM CDT

Quantum mechanics at a music site? Sure, why not?

This effect is called quantum entanglement. But as one wiser than I once said, "Naming is not knowing."

It appears that there is experimental support for the idea.

On a(n) historical note, Einstein himself, who helped lay the groundwork for the advent of quantum mechanics, shared your skepticism, and co-wrote a famous paper (referred to as EPR; Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen) that was a challenge to quantum theory, very much in the spirit of your post. You're in good company!

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Monday, July 23 2012 @ 04:45 PM CDT

i think quantum mechanics meets the requirements of a science. it can make predictions, which have been experimentally replicated by many independent researchers.

beyond that quantum mechanics is also a technology. we know how to build a large number of kinds of devices based on quantum mechanics - such as computers, lasers, GPS, the list goes on and on...

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Monday, July 23 2012 @ 05:00 PM CDT

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Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Monday, July 23 2012 @ 06:04 PM CDT

Quote by: Les_Kloo Quantum mechanics at a music site? Sure, why not?

Got nothing for quantum mechanics on a music site, but how about on a Mac site.



Picked this up a few years back.

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Monday, July 23 2012 @ 07:21 PM CDT

Strangely enough, I think about this kind of stuff all the time.

Like any form of mathematics beyond arithmetic, quantum mechanics is a somewhat specialized tool that works well in some situations and not-so-well in others.

For example, you're not likely to create the next generation of microprocessor using finite mathematics. But then, you're equally unlikely to determine the odds of that next card being a face card using quantum mechanics.

Similarly, quantum mechanics won't help you do your taxes but it's what led a bunch of guys to believe they could obliterate a city with a few pounds of plutonium.

Oh, and quantum mechanics is absolutely useless for keeping a guitar in tune or explaining what planet drummers come from.

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Tuesday, July 24 2012 @ 06:20 AM CDT

Superpartners
http://macjams.com/song/65256

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Tuesday, July 24 2012 @ 11:39 AM CDT

The stuff of Speculative Fiction. Did anyone ever see the series, flash Forward? There were 20 episodes and no 2nd season. I've been watching it on Hulu.

Just the whole concept of observing a phenomonon effecting the outcome is intersting... almost as if... "IT KNOWS" [added reverb for effect].

what did I just say?

Re:Quantum Mechanics: Science or Pseudo-Science?
Tuesday, July 24 2012 @ 11:55 AM CDT

Quote by: awigze Just the whole concept of observing a phenomonon effecting the outcome is intersting... almost as if... "IT KNOWS" [added reverb for effect .

Schrodinger's Lament.