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Quantum Theory, the Copenhagen and Many Words interpretation . Schrodinger's Cat Joke. Sheldon makes reference to this joke when Leonard cannot decide weather or not he is going to Will Wheaton's party. (Clip) It is also referenced when Penny is debating her relationship with Leonard. (No Clip).
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Quantum Theory, the Copenhagen and Many Words interpretation Schrodinger's Cat Joke
Sheldon makes reference to this joke when Leonard cannot decide weather or not he is going to Will Wheaton's party. (Clip) • It is also referenced when Penny is debating her relationship with Leonard. (No Clip) The Joke
What is a thought experiment? • An experiment carried out in the mind • Usually due to technological or physical restrictions. Ie: Traveling at the speed of light or quantum events • Why can’t we measure quantum events? • By ‘throwing’ our ‘medicine ball’ we disrupt the natural state • Photon’s disrupt natural state of particles • Called Heisenberg uncertain principal Preamble
The Copenhagen Interpretationof Quantum Mechanics states that all possible outcomes exist in superposition until forced to choose. • Can change every time. • Developed by Nelis Bohr Copenhagen Interpretation
Schrodinger’s Cat was a famous thought experiment. Developed in 1935. • Experiment: • The Cat • The Atom • The Geiger counter • The Poison • Accepting uncertainty on this microscopic level has a major effect on the macroscopic world. The Cat
Goal was not to promote the idea of living AND dead cats (Not Living-Dead) • Example of classic reductio ad absurdum (Clip) • Proposition: "Raising taxation rates always results in increased tax revenue.“ • "If taxes were raised to 100% of income, individuals would not work, and companies would not operate, resulting in zero income, and thus zero tax.” The Cat (Cont’d)
Named after William of Occam. • Occam is an English town. • The Razor dates back to 14th century AD • Based on empirical evidence. (Senses) • Einstein and Lorentz had competing theories about why the speed of light acts the way it does. • Lorentz’s was based on changes happening in ‘The Ether’ Occam’s Razor
Many Worlds theory of quantum physics is much less comforting. • States that the universe is constantly making copies of itself, and every choice happens. Many Worlds
Most theories have some contradictions. • As Leonard says “ At best, you can say ‘Oh my theory has more internal consistency than yours!’” • Much like religion. Quark-y Nature
How does Occam’s Razor apply to Quantum Theory? • It proves nothing only a guideline. • By the nature of quantum theory, all theories are true, false, some don’t exist, some won’t exist. Shaving Quantum Theory
Schrodinger and Heisenberg are going for a drive… • The cup, half-empty? Half-full? Can we ever know! Bad Jokes!(Of the Quantum Variety)