Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Another Older Don't Let This Happen To You

This strip is entitled "Quantum Reality At the Good Nite Inn" and it is about physics- specifically the double slit experiment that proves that light can be either a wave or particle, but changes depending on whether it's being observed or not. 

When you fire photons of light one at a time through two slits you get the pattern you'd expect on the wall behind the slits: two lines.  This is when light is acting like a particle.  But when you merely look at it while it's happening you get the blurry line mash in the picture hanging on the wall of the sleazy motel room: an interference pattern. This is when light is acting like a wave.  This is why when the guy turns around there is no one there and when he's not looking there is.  The outcome is changing depending on whether or not it is being observed. 








No one got it.

But wait there's more.  This experiment works with electrons as well, and physicists think that this little pattern of bars means something even wilder: that the electrons can be in more places than one at the same time.  Huh?  You mean an object can be in one place, or more than one place at once depending on whether or not I observe it?  Yup.  All those times you are complaining that your life sucks you could be instead moving electrons with the power of your mind.  And do you know what I think?  I think that if people had a better grasp on this concept we could develop a means of long distance communications without machines.  But that's all science fiction right now

Oh, and why is it set in a sleazy hotel?  Because I was hanging out a lot in a hotel bar at the time.  Not anymore though.

1 comment:

Elana Pritchard said...

I've always wanted to explain that in depth