Quantum mechanics... Double Slit experiemnt

**The Chef** · 07-03-2011, 09:26

Quantum mechanics - a nice light thought for a Monday morning...

I watched an Episode of Horizon 'What is Reality?' a couple of weeks back on iPlayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...at_Is_Reality/

One of the best docs Ive ever seen - mainly due to one particular item - the Double Slit experiement.

(I know the simley hardly justifies it...)

I'd never heard of the experiment before but I knew Quantum physics were a little weird but this is absolutly mind-boggling - I never realised our understanding at a quantum level is SO drastically lacking and potentially different to our general understanding of 'Everything'.

I've been mulling it over literally almost every waking moment since seeing it

I'm not really sure on my conclusions - and they're definately not something I can convey in any form of coherent text

.

For anyone who has an interest in 'how things work' - watch it for this one bit (I seem to remember it was about 17mins in).

**Johnny** · 07-03-2011, 09:32

I loved that episode ...... the whole posibility that the universe might be 2d and just looks 3d due to the way we observe it, makes some of the weird stuff like the double slit experiment make sence

**George** · 07-03-2011, 09:36

Physics must have moved on a bit since I did the double slit experiment at school. When we did it, it was just to illustrate how light can behave both as a particle and a wave.

Where does the 2D 3D thing come in?

**Johnny** · 07-03-2011, 09:47

the theory is along the line that universe a hologram and the third dimension is an illusion and we infact live in a 2D fractal construct that just percieves our surroundings as 3d

because of this it expains why photons can exist in two forms at the same time or if you interact with one photon by viewing it it can change state, or if you rotate a photon through 360deg its not the same as it was before, or why altering one photon, does another photon behave exactly the same way. .... All of these anomolies can be explained

It also goes a long way in to explaining how black holes work and what happens to objects that you think are sucked in to them

look it up Craig Hogan is the astrophysicist thats working on it

As bizaar as it sounds its a viable theory which they are going a long way in to trying to prove / disprove .... it could well be the next big breakthrough if his experiments to build a stupidly acurate clock can prove effectivly that reality really is just an illusion of a 2d hologram

**George** · 07-03-2011, 09:56

Do I need special glasses to see reality then? or is it more like the new generation of 3DTVs?

Or does it all change when you try to look at it anyway? Maybe it was a 3D particle until I tried to look at it and now I'm living in a 2D wave. I'm glad I don't have to think about these things and we have a team of scientists working round the clock on it. Speaking of clocks, is time just an illusion?

**Aitch** · 07-03-2011, 10:19

Is this the same theory that Mark Oliver Everett's (of Eels fame) father came up with decades ago and was villified for at the time, that has since been proven as correct?

**The Chef** · 07-03-2011, 10:20

Originally Posted by George

is time just an illusion?

If it is - have I just replied at the same 'instance' as you asked?

Or... had you* not looked, had I replied?

*nor anyone else

**George** · 07-03-2011, 10:22

Where's Schrödinger when you need him?

* This is getting as bit nerdy

**zeppelin101** · 07-03-2011, 10:22

Had a conversation loosely related to this and the theory of relativity at about 3am Saturday morning having gone out on the lash at the student union with a couple of the lads in my flat.

Such a surreal conversation to have at that time of the morning when the three of you aren't really sober

**The Chef** · 07-03-2011, 10:24

Originally Posted by George

Where's Schrödinger when you need him?

* This is getting as bit nerdy

Dead.

or was that his cat??

**Johnny** · 07-03-2011, 10:26

Originally Posted by Aitch

Is this the same theory that Mark Oliver Everett's (of Eels fame) father came up with decades ago

Hugh Everett .... I dont remember him ever mentioning the 2d holographic thing ... he certainly covered the multiple universe theory ... which they talked about in Horizon

He might of done though I cant say I know much about him

**McRearout** · 07-03-2011, 10:31

I'm going to have to watch this now

**gansao** · 07-03-2011, 10:36

There cant be a 2d universe in the way that we normally understand it because life couldnt exist eg veins/arteries and digestive systems in higher life forms would not be physically possible

**Silane** · 07-03-2011, 10:40

Originally Posted by Johnny

look it up Craig Hogan is the astrophysicist thats working on it

http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/brea...phic-universe/

**Aitch** · 07-03-2011, 10:58

Originally Posted by Johnny

Hugh Everett

I couldn't recall his name

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Everett_III

**Grim** · 07-03-2011, 11:09