I admit it, I don't really understand quantum effects very well. I do know there's something crazy going on here, though, and it's worth reflecting on.
I know this much, it goes back to de Broglie. Particles have wavelengths. At least that's what he said. It's a very small wavelength, smaller than a nucleus, but it's there. So, as the waves as concentrated in this small unit of space, it's a particle... but is a particle made of waves? Or are these the wrong kind of terms to try to think of it.
Our professor told us that as technological capabilities get on a tiny scale, we're starting to experience some strange things. On a scale smaller than an atom, it turns out sometimes electrons get entangled, which means they behave the same way over far distances, I think? Or, the outcome of certain experiments on them is determined by the way you set up the experiment.
I guess this is a revolution against the Newtonian universe, right? Where things behave in predicatable ways? We've got hidden variables, maybe, or many worlds, even. Or just statistics? I don't know. It's unsettling, all the ideas about dead cats in boxes. Absurd.
Is it ok for me to say I don't "believe" it? There must be something more to all of this, something clean and straightforward to explain it all. Simple laws, right? Maybe that's wishful thinking...
No comments:
Post a Comment