Schroedinger's Cat

[Mikey]

Jayzus - you've got mail.I kind of forgot to do it yesterday.

M.

[Mikey]

Bloody hell - I sent you the wrong article.The second will be the one you're after.

M.

[JayzusB.Christ]

After a good long think about Schroedinger's cat I decided to look up this post again. So it's a necropost, but that's fine, I'm a necrophile. And shite, sorry, Mikey, I don't think I ever realised you'd sent me the article in question, and never thanked you for it. Er... do you still have it? 

[Mikey]

Let's see...two years later...moved those boxes there...got that last xmas...AGH! SPIDER!...dusty as hell 'round here...

Nope. I can't remember the article, but I'll see if I can track it down again...

M.

[Proudhuff]

Bloody cocky humans only think something happens if THEY observe it? self centred egotists methinks

[JayzusB.Christ]

Thanks a million, Mikey, though no worries if you can't find it.

Proudhuff, I really hope that you're right - otherwise the universe is solipsistic to an almost Godpletonian extent, except for the fact that he is part of my imagination, and not vice versa as has previously been suggested. By him.

[M.I.K.]

So... Presumably, if Schroedinger's cat survived the experiment, it would be able to observe that it had, but if it died, it wouldn't be able to observe that it had. Which means it would only be in a dead/non-dead state of flux if it actually died and not if it lived, which makes no sense.

For the analogy to work, Schroedinger should have picked something incapable of being aware of its own fate, like a banana or something.

[I, Cosh]

Whether the cat knows or not is irrelevant to the external observer's point of view.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

The Barman says we don't serve your type around here

[Kerrin]

Mind buggering stuff. I'd use a stethoscope.

For a fascinating documentary on all things quantum including the behavior of observed and unobserved photons, check out BBC2's Horizon; What is reality? Brilliant stuff. See what you think of Holographic Theory. I actually felt my brain flip like a gelatinous pancake.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00xxgbn/Horizon_20102011_What_Is_Reality/

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

A Time Traveler walks into a bar

[M.I.K.]

Whether the cat knows or not is irrelevant to the external observer's point of view.

Hmmm... On the other hand, I suppose if the gas/radiation leaked out and potentially killed the external observer, the outcome could depend on the live version of the cat getting out of the box to find out.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I believe it was Neils Bohr who said something along the lines of; If you understand it, you clearly haven't been paying attention. But don't quote me on that quotation, it is uncertain.

[vzzbux]

Just read this thread. 
It fucks my head up almost as much as thinking where space ends and where it does end what starts and how long does that go on for.
Also when our spacial time started, how far does it really go back and what came before and how long was that in existence.

I'm going for a lie down.




V

[TordelBack]

http://dresdencodak.com/2010/12/13/smbc-guest-comic/