Schrödinger's kittens enter the classical world

[neutralino]

This is quite an interesting article that I found in nature news online today. In it, scientists argue that the reason we do not observe quantum effects is not because the quantum effects only take place on a small scale, but because we do not have accurate enough measuring instruments in order to see them.

Johannes Kofler and Časlav Brukner of the University of Vienna and the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, also in Vienna, say that the emergence of the 'classical' laws of physics, deduced by the likes of Galileo and Newton, from quantum rules happens not as objects get bigger, but because of the ways we measure these objects1. If we could make every measurement with as much precision as we liked, there would be no classical world at all, they say.

[MJA]

Thanks N,

That state between the life and death of Shrodinger's cat is what is.
Science cannot measure what is because it is immeasurable.
If one tries to measure now, it's already to late, already history.
No accuracy of measure can touch what is now or simply what is.
Einstein used an example of gun powder to show Shrodinger the connection between quantum and classic physics.

The problem of measuring nature is measuring what is before it isn't.

Cool stuff N,

=
MJA

[Profpat]

Hi Neutralino;

I may be wrong here but I thought the difference between quantum and classical physics was due to size of the sample.

In other words Las Vegas can build an empire on the predicability of large numbers.

Craps is an excellent example of the classic distribution.
------------Number------------------------
2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12

---------------Odds------------------------
1/36-2/36-3/36-4/36-5/36-6/36-5/36-4/36-3/36-2/36-1/36


Now we all know a person can roll 7 15x one after another. ( quantum physics ) but in the long run, after maybe 10,000 tosses your odds of tossing a 7 will approach 16.666666% ( classical physics ).

Best,

Pat

[Lloyd Gillespie]

This is quite an interesting article that I found in nature news online today. In it, scientists argue that the reason we do not observe quantum effects is not because the quantum effects only take place on a small scale, but because we do not have accurate enough measuring instruments in order to see them.

Johannes Kofler and Časlav Brukner of the University of Vienna and the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, also in Vienna, say that the emergence of the 'classical' laws of physics, deduced by the likes of Galileo and Newton, from quantum rules happens not as objects get bigger, but because of the ways we measure these objects1. If we could make every measurement with as much precision as we liked, there would be no classical world at all, they say.

I think the truth is just the other way around, Neutralino. If we could measure accurately enough, all we'd see is the true classical universe...

Lloyd