Quantum theory

[samoth]

I think he's referring to more of a pre-determined cat-in-the-box wave function kinda thing, or instantaneous particle-particle interactions over very large distances.

I think.

 

[Feynman]

One of the newer fields is QED or Quantum Electro Dynamics.

FYI, I totally invented QED.

 

[chesty]

The cat-in-the-box or wave function thing is referring to the fact that the person doing the observing forces the wave function to collapse into a state determined by the user. In other words, we create our own reality as we go.

Star Trek the Next Generation had an episode about that and it was very interesting and the science they were portraying was not for the average trekkie fan. It was probably the most in depth show involving quantum theory and the theories of Schroedinger and Heisenberg

 

[samoth]

Here's a thread from PF about deterministic quantum mechanics. Hopefully it'll help a bit:

http://www.physicsforums.com/showth...ght=determinism+in+quantum+mechanical+systems

 

[chesty]

Yep that should clear it up like MUD! I got my minors in Physics out of college, cool shit, but strange as hell too!

 

[samoth]

The cat-in-the-box or wave function thing is referring to the fact that the person doing the observing forces the wave function to collapse into a state determined by the user. In other words, we create our own reality as we go.

Exactly... the cat's fate is pre-determined for as long as someone cares to resist the urge to open the box and look thereby collapsing the wave function.

"Determinism" can mean way too many things from literature to philosophy to semantics, so I'm trying to get at [what I think is] exactly what he's addressing.

 

[samoth]

Yep that should clear it up like MUD!

Dammit, lol, I'm trying to get something with a good explaination sans math and tech talk.

It's harder than I thought it would be...

 

[anthrax]

Interesting ... Thx

Why would Einstein give up his Unified theory after more than 20 years?
The answer could have been contrary to his faith?

 

[samoth]

Why would Einstein give up his Unified theory after more than 20 years?
The answer could have been contrary to his faith?

Mainly, we weren't ready for a unification theory at that time. Hell, I don't think we're even close to ready now.

Einstein was looking for something waaaaayyy ahead of his time... the answers just weren't there, and they still aren't there today, lol.

Even if the direction we're heading today will lead to a GUT (which I doubt it will...), the mathematical methods used currently didn't even exist when Einstein was looking for unification.

 

[samoth]

The answer could have been contrary to his faith?

A BIG question that even today remains unanswered.

If true, there is a fundamental flaw with GR, and science is screwed.

If there is a flaw in either GR or QM, most of science believes it will be found in QM.