Quantum Science Leading to Religion?
Posted on: Mon, 2006-11-13 23:20
Offline
Quantum Science Leading to Religion?
This is a thought I had the other day, and it's not quite panned out, but I thought you guys might enjoy discussing it.
From my understanding, Science is based on Observation. Quantum Sciences are based on the concept that protons (correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't raed anything on Quantum Mechanics in years) behave subjectively if an observer is absent.
So I've been thinking, if science is all about observation, and quantum physics is all about how things are subjective until observed, does that mean that with each further step quantum science takes, traditional science loses validity? I was going to put this in a different forum, but I thought a debate might happen.
Peace
Well quantums have been observed, or calculated, actually both. If I remember my physics correctly it was a quantum is a certain burst of wave energy to explain for the sun and other glowing objects not radiating everything to the infinite scale. And it has to do with electrons too and such but they do act very much subjectively with or without an observer. Also, it is impossible to measure both speed and position of the electron because the more precisely you measure one, the less precisely you measure the other- I believe that's the uncertainty principle. That's my general grasp of it. Now is traditional science lose validity? Not at all, because it is still observed and calculated mathematically, all the quantum physics is is an understanding that there is a limit to our knowledge and a certain randomness exists in the universe.
Quantum physics, technically, is not all about subjective, objective. Let me clear this up. WhiteCrow, BTW, has the uncertainty principal correct, but that isn't the main area of debate and confusion.
It is, in fact, what UltraWill is discribing, but for laymen/women, he is discribing how photons seem to behave differently when observed. They also seem to predict the future, as well as interact instintaeously without otherwise interacting. The whole thing is immensly bizzare. Look up some good writings about wave interference for a taste of this. Also, look at blackbody boxes and projectors (pretty sure this is the wrong term). It is literally the most profoundly confusing thing, because we can predict things inside this system. We know what is going on, just not quite how, exactly. I hope that is simple enough, because I know I cut some valuable stuff out.
Disclaimer: I have been studying quantum physics for years, ever since my 5th grade report on it, and I am currently a member of the American Physical Society (which says less than you think). But now I am into math, so I may be rusty.