Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Do you believe in quantum mechanics?

Yes
22
92%
No
0
No votes
Undecided
2
8%
 
Total votes: 24

Miguel
Miguel
2
Joined: 17 Apr 2008, 11:36
Location: San Sebastian (Spain)

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

Post

autogyro wrote:Everything is relative, you just proved that.
I always found it funny that Einstein's theory is called "special relativity". After all, the axioms are "the speed of light is constant" and "the laws of physics look the same in all inertial frameworks". I don't see "relative" anywhere.

@Ciro,

That's why I wrote "believe". I've been lucky enough to see electron diffraction, as well as the zeeman effect. It's not "believe" in my case, but knowledge that on certain conditions QM is accurate. I know when it fails, as well ;)

@Saribro,

I'll have a look at Dutch's book. Could be interesting, although parallel universes aren't my cup of tea. The free chapter you can peek in amazon sure looked interesting, though. One book I enjoyed a lot was Richard Feynman's "QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter".
I am not amazed by F1 cars in Monaco. I want to see them driving in the A8 highway: Variable radius corners, negative banking, and extreme narrowings that Tilke has never dreamed off. Oh, yes, and "beautiful" weather tops it all.

"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future." Niels Bohr

Miguel
Miguel
2
Joined: 17 Apr 2008, 11:36
Location: San Sebastian (Spain)

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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autogyro wrote: Facts can be changed by newer experiments.
Please allow me to reword that: Facts are complemented by newer experiments.
I am not amazed by F1 cars in Monaco. I want to see them driving in the A8 highway: Variable radius corners, negative banking, and extreme narrowings that Tilke has never dreamed off. Oh, yes, and "beautiful" weather tops it all.

"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future." Niels Bohr

sknguy
sknguy
3
Joined: 14 Dec 2004, 21:02

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

Post

Saribro wrote:
Miguel wrote:PS: As far as I know, what the theories of everything try to do is merging General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory (which is quantum mechanics adopted to special relativity). Gravity is a real b*tch.
Well, 'theories of everything in physics' is what you're describing, which is ... an insufficient attempt at 'everything', IMHO. But yes, gravity sucks. :)
I asked a newbie question at the physics forum once about what readings would help me understand the relationship between matter and space-time. lol. The best response that summed it up was "most people spend their entire lives searching for that understanding". I'm paraphrasing.

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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My two kronor, for as little they are worth these days anyway;

Without quantum physics (as we prefer to call it here north of the arctic circle, we would be trying to xplain the human brain the Newtonian way, why not only everything you say or do, but everything that ever been said or done, was predestined and will be forever.

Schrödinger and Heisenberg changed all that, you cannot behold a positron as a billiard-ball, thanks Ciro.
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

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hollus
Moderator
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 01:21
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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You are using the wrong terminology, Miguel.
If you talk to someone about quantum mechanics, they this that it is damn complicated, they thing of non-deterministic experiments, they get a headache, they hate you and feel inferior, and then they say something defensive.
Talk to them about statistical thermodynamics and how QM feeds numbers into it, and they will just think that you are hell smart and know what you are doing.
Non-deterministic becomes quite deterministic when you can multiply your experiment by Avogadro's number.
Rivals, not enemies.

Just_a_fan
Just_a_fan
593
Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 20:37

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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sknguy wrote: I asked a newbie question at the physics forum once about what readings would help me understand the relationship between matter and space-time. lol. The best response that summed it up was "most people spend their entire lives searching for that understanding". I'm paraphrasing.
I think it was Feynman who said that "I think I can safely say that no one understands quantum mechanics"
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.

Caito
Caito
13
Joined: 16 Jun 2009, 05:30
Location: Switzerland

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Miguel wrote:
autogyro wrote:Everything is relative, you just proved that.
I always found it funny that Einstein's theory is called "special relativity". After all, the axioms are "the speed of light is constant" and "the laws of physics look the same in all inertial frameworks". I don't see "relative" anywhere.

There's relative in various places. The order in which events occur, distance, time. If you stand on different frameworks you may see something of length A, and in another framework it could be of length B. Simulataneous event aren't in another framework.

Relative is the result of the axioms.
Come back 747, we miss you!!

autogyro
autogyro
53
Joined: 04 Oct 2009, 15:03

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Miguel wrote:
autogyro wrote: Facts can be changed by newer experiments.
Please allow me to reword that: Facts are complemented by newer experiments.
Facts can be complemented by newer experiments but they can also be changed completely by later experiments.
Science does not tell the truth.
Which is why atheism cannot exist and science can only be defined as a religion.

Belatti
Belatti
33
Joined: 10 Jul 2007, 21:48
Location: Argentina

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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@ autogyro

Image

@ the rest

I know nothing about the subject, hence I believe: all that people are not wrong, but ignore some things, as all we humanity ever did and will.

My GF is a physic... I definitively have to ask her to teach me or recomend me good books about QM
"You need great passion, because everything you do with great pleasure, you do well." -Juan Manuel Fangio

"I have no idols. I admire work, dedication and competence." -Ayrton Senna

Just_a_fan
Just_a_fan
593
Joined: 31 Jan 2010, 20:37

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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autogyro wrote: Which is why atheism cannot exist and science can only be defined as a religion.
The whole point about religiion is to keep people in the dark and keep them scared. That way they will hide behind their 'god' and give up their lives to the 'chosen ones'. In summary, religion is about control.

Science allows us to walk in the light. It is still scary because we don't know all of the answers (and we never will) but we don't need to hide from the truth. What truth? The Universe is a big and scary place that cares not one jot about our existence. People hate being told they don't matter. The simple truth is that they don't matter. At all.
If you are more fortunate than others, build a larger table not a taller fence.

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hollus
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Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 01:21
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Anyone thinking that science tells "the truth" is mislead and is not doing science or not doing it properly.
Scientists do not pretend to be telling the truth (well, in math maybe they do), but it gets a git tiresome to add a disclaimer to every sentence. Ask them nicely and they'll be happy to explain the assumptions going into the models and where the most obvious weak points lie.
The only reason science keeps on progressing like it does, slowly, in a zig-zag pattern, but seriously forward over the medium and long terms is because 99% of scientists are well aware that many conclusions are wrong, and hence happy to question them, challenge them and reformulate them.
QM is the best model we have right now for the microscopic world, and a hell of a useful one. Newton didn't become "wrong" after Einstein, we simply found out the conditions where his model becomes a bit worse.
Rivals, not enemies.

autogyro
autogyro
53
Joined: 04 Oct 2009, 15:03

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Just_a_fan wrote:
autogyro wrote: Which is why atheism cannot exist and science can only be defined as a religion.
The whole point about religiion is to keep people in the dark and keep them scared. That way they will hide behind their 'god' and give up their lives to the 'chosen ones'. In summary, religion is about control.

Science allows us to walk in the light. It is still scary because we don't know all of the answers (and we never will) but we don't need to hide from the truth. What truth? The Universe is a big and scary place that cares not one jot about our existence. People hate being told they don't matter. The simple truth is that they don't matter. At all.
Religions are constructed to manipulate and control, which is why science can be described as a religion. It is the most powerful source of human manipulation ever seen.
However just like all other religions, science also tries to tell the truth and gives its followers a path to follow in their natural human demand for answers.

Most of the time it fails miserably like all religions.
Simply put they are all crutches for human fears and vulnerability.

Super racing
Super racing
0
Joined: 07 Sep 2009, 20:34

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Just_a_fan wrote:
autogyro wrote: Which is why atheism cannot exist and science can only be defined as a religion.
The whole point about religiion is to keep people in the dark and keep them scared. That way they will hide behind their 'god' and give up their lives to the 'chosen ones'. In summary, religion is about control.

Science allows us to walk in the light. It is still scary because we don't know all of the answers (and we never will) but we don't need to hide from the truth. What truth? The Universe is a big and scary place that cares not one jot about our existence. People hate being told they don't matter. The simple truth is that they don't matter. At all.
Maybe you dont matter, because the only reason you exist is because you were created. If your existance is limited to the matter that constitutes your body than you are indeed worthless. Not all religion is about control, but even still every Human being is in need of bounderies and guidelines(control as you call it), so while the rules of man are biased and arbitrary, the rules of the Creator are clearly defined. And some of these rules have come to be called physics and science by some. It is clear that the world/universe around us was Created in a beautiful balance, not something that randomly came together. To deny that is to deny your own existance.

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hollus
Moderator
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 01:21
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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Autogyro, stop using your computer, right now. It cannot possibly work.
Rivals, not enemies.

autogyro
autogyro
53
Joined: 04 Oct 2009, 15:03

Re: Do you "believe in Quantum Mechanics"?

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hollus wrote:Autogyro, stop using your computer, right now. It cannot possibly work.
Hahaha
But I did the rituals and got the degree hollus.