Quantum Trickery - Einstein's Strangest Theory

breckinshire writes "The New York Times is running an interesting story on Einstein's strangest theory. The theory was brought to light this past fall when 'scientists announced that they had put a half dozen beryllium atoms into a "cat state." [...] These atoms were each spinning clockwise and counterclockwise at the same time.' It is an interesting writeup for even the uninitiated and also concentrates on Einsteins role as a 'founder and critic of quantum theory.'"

Comments

Founder?

[benna]

I suppose that is why Planck's Constant is named after him.

Re:Founder?

[labyrinth]

Planck, Heisenberg, Pauli, Dirac, Schrodinger and Einstein are each the single founder of quantum mechanics in different superimposed universes. It is impossible for us to find out in which of these universes we live without killing all the cats,

Re:Founder?

[ultranova]

Einstein was a founder of quantum theory, along with Planck, Heisenberg, Pauli, Dirac, Schrodinger and many many more. There was no single founder.

Of course there was a single founder, but his identity is uncertain. Whenever you ask a scientist, you can't be certain beforehand who he'll name; you can only say that the founder will be named as a certain person with certain propability.

Ah ha

[Auckerman]

This is just further proof that we are living in the Matrix. With each and every absurd observation, man is getting closer to the truth that we are the cat in the box.

wouldn't that be...

[User 956]

"The New York Times is running an interesting story on Einstein's strangest theory. The theory was brought to light this past fall when 'scientists announced that they had put a half dozen beryllium atoms into a "cat state."

Wouldn't that be Schroedinger's strangest theory?

They forgot one:

[Phariom]

"To a physicist, a "cat state" is the condition of being two diametrically opposed conditions at once, like black and white, up and down, or dead and alive."

Or something happy to have its tummy rubbed only to bite you seconds later.

Don't expect to understand.

[Yirimyah]

Don't expect to understand. We evolved to run around on a plain and throw spears at antelopes, so we shouldn't be suprised when we don't understand complex things.

Here's to the atom bomb

[ultracool]

"Most physicists agreed with Bohr, and they went off to use quantum mechanics to build atomic bombs and reinvent the world."

Why do they always have to use the atomic bomb as an example of the applications of quantum mechanics? It really gives it a bad name.

Re:Maybe they observed wrong?

[cammoblammo]

any slip-up will definitely be noticed by another scientist.

Yes, but wouldn't the act of observing the slip up change it's state?

Quantum Enlightenment

[Macka]

It is typical in reporting on this subject to bounce from one expert to another, each one shaking his or her head about how the other one just doesn't get it.

Having pondered on this for a minute I've achieved a new state of Quantum Enlightenment. I both get it and don't get it, at the same time!

Re:Support one of the non-registration required si

[mAineAc]

Actually this is proof that the article is in a quantum state. It is a dupe while at the same time it is not a dupe.