Article

2009-03-06 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Japanese Physicists Make Quantum Physics Even More Puzzling

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Posted by Anonymoose 2009-03-06 12:17|| || Front Page|| [11126 views ] Top

#1 Physics seem SO cool, but I'm bad at math and unfortunately don't understand any of it! At least this article assures me that reality exists. I'm relieved to hear it....

Would the ghost of Decartes say "I told you that I think therefore I am?
Then he could add "But you look therefore it isn't."

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2009-03-06 12:34|| 2009-03-06 12:34|| Front Page Top

#2 If I understand this article correctly (which is doubtful), the conclusion here seems to be that reality is weirder when not observed than when observed.

Posted by mhw 2009-03-06 13:19|| 2009-03-06 13:19|| Front Page Top

#3 It's things like this that persuade the ignorant that madness and genius are inextricably linked.

This reminds me of a short story by Heinlein, an exploration of the idea that science only works because we all firmly believe that it does.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2009-03-06 13:25|| 2009-03-06 13:25|| Front Page Top

#4 There are many very weird descriptions at play in physics. I say descriptions because they are mathematical equations that purport to describe reality (and yes, that is what physics is).

One of the items currently "understood" is that energy warps space (aka gravity) in a way similar to matter.

Quote from a friendly NASA astro-physicist:
"With respect to the curvature of space/time in the universe as a whole,
the total warping of space/time comes not only from the "normal" mass,
but from the total mass-energy density of the universe."

Dark energy & dark matter, two other topics of my conversation, exist according to the mathematical models but have no experimental reality. At least not yet.

I think I need a drink.

Posted by AlanC 2009-03-06 13:37|| 2009-03-06 13:37|| Front Page Top

#5 reality is weirder when not observed than when observed
Veerily, the same has cows.

Posted by .5MT 2009-03-06 13:38|| 2009-03-06 13:38|| Front Page Top

#6 Okay, my question is WHY?! Why does it act different if observed vs unobserved? What is it about observation that changes things?

Is there an answer for that or is it one of those questions you're not supposed to ask?

Posted by Silentbrick">Silentbrick 2009-03-06 14:44|| 2009-03-06 14:44|| Front Page Top

#7 What are the consequences of this not being true? What are the consequences of it being true? Are they the same or are they different? Please explain.

Posted by Richard of Oregon 2009-03-06 15:04|| 2009-03-06 15:04|| Front Page Top

#8 #7, I would explain it but then you'd disappear. So, you understand why I hesitate? #7? Hello? #7?

Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839">AlmostAnonymous5839 2009-03-06 16:34|| 2009-03-06 16:34|| Front Page Top

#9 In Quatum Mechanics the particles are so small that in order to be observed some type of energy is either added or taken away. This energy changes the state of the particle and changes it inot something else therefore maybe you didn't see what you thought you did. Did the particle really exist before the observation?

Posted by Deacon Blues 2009-03-06 17:24|| 2009-03-06 17:24|| Front Page Top

#10 AlanC: If you want to conceptualize reality from a quantum perspective, start with the idea that space and time are the same thing.

Think traveling from "point 'a'" to "point 'b'". The further they are apart in space, the longer it takes to travel between them *at the same speed*. Reduce the space and you reduce the time.

The next idea is to imagine that matter and energy are just different ideal states of the same thing, with all matter and energy being partly energy and partly matter to different degrees, somewhere in the middle between the two ideal states.

Now imagine that space-time is more like 3 dimensional space, and that matter-energy is one of the three dimensions of that area. The second dimension is mass and gravity.

One and a half of these dimensions are the more space and matter side of reality, the other half and third dimension are the more time and energy side of reality. So it is best to call the third dimension "causality".

It is the middle ground between the two ideal extremes of stasis and change in reality. In a matter of speaking, from "outside", reality looks balanced and stable, but "inside" reality, it is inherently unstable, to maintain its overall stability.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-03-06 18:08|| 2009-03-06 18:08|| Front Page Top

#11 If a man says something in the forest, and there is no woman around to hear, is he still wrong?

Posted by BrerRabbit 2009-03-06 18:37|| 2009-03-06 18:37|| Front Page Top

#12 Okay, so some Big Brain came up with the idea that 'perhaps' nature doesn't exist if we're not looking and then years later, some other Big Brains prove that nature does indeed exist when we're not looking.

That all these men earned (I use that term loosely) a living at something so absurd, is proof positive that these are extremely smart motherfuckers. Big Brains, indeed.

Posted by Mike N. 2009-03-06 19:21|| 2009-03-06 19:21|| Front Page Top

#13 Of course, #11 BrerRabbit. ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2009-03-06 19:28|| 2009-03-06 19:28|| Front Page Top

#14 If a woman says something in a forest and there are no men around, you are still wrong.

Posted by Skunky Glins 5***">Skunky Glins 5*** 2009-03-06 20:06|| 2009-03-06 20:06|| Front Page Top

#15 Perhaps not observing means that the universe doesn't need to waste time and effort creating alternate realities for those unobserved events.

Conservation of effort and all that...

Posted by 3dc 2009-03-06 20:52|| 2009-03-06 20:52|| Front Page Top

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