[lit-ideas] Re: Understanding Why The Compressor Shorted To Ground
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:55:21 -0800
Electron passes through grid, triggers gun to kill kitty. Electron is
intercepted by grid, gun isn't triggered and kitty lives. Quantum
indeterminacy cannot produce a live/dead cat, they thought, forgetting
cats have nine lives.
Sealed container contains live cat and some mechanism triggered by
quantum event, e.g. radioactive decay of a nucleus. If event occurs, cat
is killed by mechanism (release of cyanide, e.g.) If event doesn't
occur, cat lives. Schrödinger maintained that on Bohr's notion of
quantum indeterminacy cat could only be said to be alive/dead when
container was opened and cat observed. (Otherwise cat neither alive nor
dead.)
S thought this was a pretty funny outcome which revealed a paradox in
B's interpretation. But, as Eric says, Heisenberg had the last laugh:
'Ach! Katzen haben neun Leben!
Robert Paul
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