In this episode, Josh and Chuck tackle a mind-melting topic: quantum physics! They ponder subatomic particles and various quantum theories, focusing specifically on a thought experiment called quantum suicide.
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Welcome to stop. You should know from house to what
Hey and welcome to the fog cast on Josh Clark with me, as always, is child of each
workers, Bryant son of MRS Brian? Did you get the name I like
you have. You met my non game at your mom. I love your mama of appropriately enough. The train, I thought you said your name is just court for a second there. If that was off the cuff
all except I did. I just made that that was great, is not written down anywhere. That is great shock said that, because we're going to be talking about quantum physics today in courts are
It's my understanding chuck that there the the fundamental basis of matter, yet they make up Hadrian's, which you may you may know that, does we talked about the large hadron collider.
Up until about like thirty seconds and I didn't know why it was called the large Adra yeah, while their six quarks Josh, they are known as flavors, which is kind of cool, is called up down charm, strange top and bottom and apparently,
charm, strange top and bottom you can only be produced with like a big collision like the hay drunk
ok, the large hadron collider and there's also anti court too, which is like the opposite, gathers the courts that smoke cigarettes and where the leather jackets exactly chuck
works exist on their particles, their matter right through the building blocks of matter. That's what I understand. So they exist on the subatomic level, smaller than atoms.
Or below Adam landing on. You know how you, like the words sub: yes, and they exist in this weird world, the quantum world they they bumped elbows against photons, which are my favorite subatomic. I guess particles.
And plenty of other weird strange sick. This odd parade of physical things right, I don't like it there. I conundrum
were you dont, because it's very disconcerting it at an uncomfortable world, the very comforting ideals and principles of newtonian physics. Yet
Sure what goes up must come down reality. The sun's going to rise to Morrow
depending on whether or not you are Robert Hume Adherent, Sir David Hume Adherent, I'm just these things that we can depend on it. We ve come to depend on since Isaac Newton. You know yet in his breakthroughs sure I learned a lot about myself reading this. Actually,
did you learn that you get angry easily now, just like in the whole notion of like stepping outside reality? Disturbed me, yes, and what's even more disturbing, is this this new
version is envision by some very, very smart people, or I should say what I perceive as reality by the way has won a clear that up nice
so: we check we done one on the large hadron collider right, yet
I want to hear this is this: is it like this huge fancy, multi billion dollar machine, that's new that still go and yeah right
back in the nineties. They didn't have these large hadron collider stood like you know,
rely on actually see and measuring, detect writings on the quantum world they use their imaginations, physicists and that specifically, ninety ninety seven there was a physicist to use his imagination for what's call a thought experiment where you do like that idea. Yet this guy's name is MAX take mark when he is awesome his he was at Princeton at the time I think is at MIT, smarter,
and they came up with a thought. Experiment called quantum suicide in will you allow me to explain it as follows? Please do so yeah,
are a guy and you're sitting
a room- and there is a gun, pointed at you and your head. I don't like where this has had a chill shot. Looking at the bare alright,
in the guns a little offer me into normal gum, but it took them to this new fangled machine right and this machine is set so that it measures a cork emerges, the spin of cork right right so list
see for simplicity sake, although you have already said this into. Let's just say that court can only spin clock eyes or counterclockwise. Ok, this this machine is set so that every time the person sitting affirmed the gun press a button, the cork is measured. If the cork is measured with a clockwise spin, the guns not gonna, go off. Let this be a click. Ok right! If, when the guy presses the button, the cork is measured and it comes up with a camera. Clockwise spin, the guns gonna go off, the trigger will be pulled. Yes, the bull elected in the chamber. It world travel as several feet across the room into the head of the man sitting in fine again, and he will die guarantee death like it's a kill, shot. Ok, what's weird is there in this quantum suicide thought experiment MAX take mark figured out that if this guy pressed the button
Every single time he's going to hear click, click, click, click, click, click, no matter. How many times you presses it, no matter how long he tries to write all he'll be aware of. Is this clicking of the gun because he lives? Yes, he lives in every single scenario. How cannot possibly be? Let's go back to the beginning, the first time the guy Press, the button, ok guest
What happened in another parallel universe? Is the gun went off and he died right? Ok, so with that first experiment, they the universe, split
to one where the gun went off any died, one where he deserted click right now,
if we follow the one where he heard, the click
Every time he pressed the button in the cork is measured right. The universe split into two
but he's only aware of the one where he just here's a click,
the US has reopened, where he's alive and if he died, he clearly what
understand that because he'd be dead? Yes, so
part one of mine melt starts just started. I think that that's the quantum suicide thought experiment. I like it yet
it's pretty mind boggling, I absolutely and its used to well, it's pretty exemplary of the kind of goofy like said mine, melting
ideas that are brought up on and to explain quantum physics right it would you have to do you have these thought experiment, because you can't use their its unpredictable that levels he
use like regular scientific method right in one of the reasons why it's unpredictable, because when you look at say a cork, if a cork only had a span of clockwise counterclockwise
science. Quantum physicists have found that when you observe a cork dear one time, you'll observe it in its spinning clockwise next Samuel observe its spinning counterclockwise
or even more in settling Lee. They found that photons, smallest packets of light. You can look at a single photon at one point or measure it in its a particle. You can measure at the next time these same photon in its a wave,
so this is kind of like somebody running walking in Rome, aiming at the same time in different directions. Right crazy. This so, like you said it's it's it's uncomfortable the other finding out climb level. So what you got Josh is is a chaotic,
situation in that sort of how exists now. But, as you pointed out, you wrote this. I should point out- and this is a performer
Is that really well right? Now you should tell yourself, but something
scientists think that the more we learned that some order will fall into place on the quantum level at some point will hopefully yeah hopeful here help.
In theory after their either that or else heads like the view that the laws of physics don't laws,
Tony and physics just don't apply on a certain level right down there. They they just apply on, in other specified level. Sure one of the one of the fundamental tenets that that has long been debated is the idea of Heisenberg Uncertainty principle right, yeah so
one of the one of the things like early on in quantum physics and like the twenties,
There are a lot of guys who were trying to explain why these weird things were showing up right or inconsistent, at least right and one of them
one of the early guys when an early physicist was Vernon, Heisenberg, yeah Mexican, what Vienna heisenberg- and he came up with this-
pollination or this. I guess he pointed out like a major flaw with quantum mechanics as that.
When we observe something just the active observing something we influence its behaviour right yeah,
This is where I started to get a little kinky with this. I understand concept like
even light shining, a light on something that small will will cause it took to change, but it gets a little more like philosophical them
well yeah exempted looking at something will affect the outcome. That's a really great point chuck! There's the quantum physics has a lot of philosophy and logic data be tied in to match its, not just straight up. Man here, there's philosophy to sort of appeals to me on that level, but its doesn't make it easier to understand for me well, this is how Heisenberg and certainly principle physics
me once if you will say you're blind- and you have this ball heavy ball- that that has lot about to it that you ve learned to basically see with you now a bat uses sooner yet diet bounced back the way to find out how far they are from something sure right. Let's say you ve, you ve learned candidate
same thing, but with the ball rank- and you know, there's a chair across the room and you want to figure out roughly how far away the chairs, so you throw your ball at
chair, I managed to hit it and the ball takes second, and I have to come back to you and if you know me
pretty good at this by now. You know that the chairs about thirty feet away, that's how long it takes for sunrise further for the Bali get back to you in a second half, with about as hard as you through right. Will you ve, just figured out. Is the position
the chair or where the chair was when you, through the ball at it right. What the problem is. Is you ve just influenced the behaviour, the cherry just through a ball against it,
so you Senate, careening off into space,
and now you have no idea where it is you get that
get the ball moving. The chair, when it dont get, is looking at something worth on on this level. Consider this ok with photons murmured, the smallest packing delight my favorite quantum particle church.
There is a now machine which is its a motor and its operated by shooting white at it. So this these packets of light that have no
mass, no charge right. What this the the particles were. Time are so small that a vote on a little packet of light can actually influence on. So we use light to see say right. Sages in this is this is a very basic elementary experts
agent, but we use light to see if we have the light on theirs, photons just bombarding something right right so afloat. If a photon can hit a particle
We know where its position was one.
In the light on.
But we don't know where it is now, because the photons, a Senate, careening elsewhere right, which tells back a little bit into the philosophical
Like you walk into a dark room, you don't know where the chair Isn T turn the light off, but did the light moved the chair? But that's that's it that's exactly right right! That's that's! What smart people have to say about quantum? What do I don't get it
ok, I got it, but you do get it because you just now I get perfect when I get out just getting right. Ok, I so that's Heisenberg uncertainty principle in that's been something that's kind of em
I did I conundrum for quantum physicists and not everybody
into their right. Well, that's what they had the dream up, the thought experiment to begin with right! Ok, so if just observing a particle means we affect its behaviour, will then maybe we should use thought experiments, especially pre, large hadron, collider right physicist? Is there thought process right? So this white take mark came up with the quantum suicide thought experiment, but even he did he
him up with the thought experiment to prove nother quantum theory called the many worlds: interpretation yeah, whoever it fellow
Prince Devonian in nineteen fifty seven. I know he was stopped like because forty years people are gonna like to know about this many worlds thing
until your guy came along, come you're, gonna live actually China with Musica outlets right needed. Any
a picture for forty years right, yeah, nineteen, fifty seven and ninety seven exactly four years then-
and it supports quantum suicide. The many worlds theory is for each outcome. Each page, each possible outcome to inaction the world copies itself. It splits into a copy of its right in its final tennis, and we
I have absolutely no power over whatsoever. It it's a process called de cohesion right, so check this. This
universe that were in right now is going along smoothly, because there's no choice or option right right
but let's say I'm deciding whether or not to take a step of this coffee or not just making that decision I didn't just now, but the there was a deep cohesion when I
made that decision not to write because in another universe another parallel universe now exist where I did take, it
that coffee well yeah and the key here is that you don't know that this other universes been created now right
You know it in you wanna. Do you want to imagine that you can look over to your right somewhere and you see yourself to drinking coffee right, but you can't know you were not or not cognizant of that universe, its
ran staff there no longer cohesive right right and that supports the quantum suicide thought experiment like perfectly well that that is what that's that's. What
whoever it came up with to explain why a particle of photon can be both a wave and a particle right right.
The unsettling part of this is with Heisenberg Uncertainty principle,
in charge. We look at a quantum
article nine we affected right, that was with him,
Heisenberg Heisenberg, yet juridical with with the many worlds interpretation or just observed,
yeah parallel universes happening all over the place, so let's say that you you, let's say
I was the guy who decide I want to find out. If there was such a thing. Is quantum immortality that I could just sit there with the gun and actually Gregory out the slight experiment and in sea right, yeah and consider. This is entirely possible that if somebody did do this, they could live for
however, in only they would know right. You know why, because as
observer under the many words interpretation you're just along for the ride. I would have to accept that. Don't you, if you support this theory, well, yeah, that's the basis of it,
Let's say that I was the guy who sat down in front of this guy inserted pressing the button right yes and you're sitting there watching me. You know maybe drinking Arup here, I'm waitin for that fire near eventually would have
because you're not doing anything you're, not making indecision, I'm making the decision urine observer a bystander de my decision of prestige tat button right in that, where predictability comes in probability, probably so, eventually just based on the chances of a coin, Toth Shirt
then you're going to be witnesses to that that court being measured, running counter club
wise and the gun going off, Emmy dying, I dont see and after that the universe can possibly split anymore because you're not making the decision. I am making the decision right to press the button was dead. I can't make the decision to press the button anymore. So then, though, the universe is stopped splitting for you right. So that's that
pretty unsettling, because we have no control whatsoever over anything. I mean it. If I would choose
Europe too free. Well, whether or not I am I'm taking is simply that coffee freewill doesn't exist. Of the universe is splitting into two to accommodate every possible outcome, and just imagine it splitting into more than
what, if there's more than one outcome for a decision like many worlds? Ok right! So this is the many worlds interpretation and that's how quantum suicide basically proves it by
the by saying, if somebody sat down and did this they would
come immortal. Its shows that the many was interpretation is theoretically possible, which is what it seeks to do
right and that's where the new kid on the block right when it comes to explaining this. Yes, not like the Copenhagen interpretation yeah, you bullets, let's take it, lets take it check whether
so one it's been accepted and still is in a lot of circles, but the one that had been accepted for like the last century. Basically you- and he pointed out too that this whole thing is
the only about a century old or so ably was MAX plank in night,
hundred who, which lives basically founded the field of quantum
which is very new on it. You know what you're on that scale noon came up with his stuff in the eighteenth century, so it this is the I guess, the newest field of Physic,
right. So the Copenhagen interpretation Josh is Niels, bore
in the nineteen twenties and are actually in nineteen twenty, and it says that,
quantum particle doesn't exist in one or another, but it exists in all states all at the same time, right in this state of existing in all possible states at once is called a coherent superposition.
Or just superposition. I write and the total of all those is the way function.
So remember. I said this is like this is like a running walking.
Swimming all at the same time right so this state
of running walking in swimming. All at the same time is called superposition and then being a
to run, walk and swim as possible states. That's the way, funds,
that makes you an iron man. It tell us, but it makes you
the optimal iron that you just finished. The rates immediately. Everyone else's finish with the running part near like dripping wet with your bike on your shoulder gray,
so bore he is. He proved this this
running shoes, cat thing this is this is a little funny
parties are supposedly did designers to sort of show how silly it was right he'd he did, but at the time
time. He was also, I mean you as a serious quantum physicist anyway,
you'd rival of Heisenberg, actually in Heisenberg, said, showed injures ideas were crap. I really here
is that the wording is yes anxiety and I think, a camera. What shortened your had to say about Heisenberg and certainly principle, but they didn't like each other, are its assuring us box. Can we can't describe this year end in a feeding get this? This is to the Copenhagen interpretation White, Quantum suicide
is the many worlds interpretations by their design? Theoretically, prove that it is possible to get people like can't you just talk about,
takes being on even in this so much easier
I showed in yours cat- and this is as you point out, this is a theoretical experiment. You didn't really do this by writing kid. Could why should he could have
so what he did was he got a box that you can't see into your keys you'll find out he put a cat in their theoretically
he put some radioactive material in there and then he put a geiger counter in there and like a little device that would
You know if the radioactive material leaks out it would smash this poison in there and it would kill the cat right if the Geiger counter sensed radioactive decay right, it would trigger this hammer that matches the poison, vile, killing
right, but it s just a clever way of setting this up is really not important when he did not like being clever. His thanks for the point is
He did it within like an hour or so so, where it still possible, like the cat in starved to death, the cat. Could he to be alive or the cat could be dead? You dont know cause the courtesy of inside.
Box, so in theory the cat is both alive and
right in the other part about that? Our is that he determined say like over an hour. There was a fifty fifty chance rat the radioactive material with decay or winter decay, so the Geiger counter it a fifty fifty chance of detecting it, and this is where I have a big problem with all the stuff.
Yeah. Well, it's like you, put it on the article two and this in what made me think of the tree falling in the woods. Would you really hear it, and I have hated that since I was a little kid I think
Do with your brain is wired because whether or not the cat is
The cat is alive or dead. Just because you don't know the answer, does it mean its both?
for me as an english major musician type. You know what in this, though, so the king,
the cat being alive or the cat being dead right, that's its way function! Those are the possible outcome right and since the boxes sealed off, like you said, is very important, you can't see and he can't detect anything in it right on the cat. Is the cats in in a super position of both life and death.
The point is we what what should injure was saying in this and how it how it supports the Copenhagen interpretation and is
Lee more like the Heisenberg uncertainty Prince another, then furniture would have liked to admit Brett. We, the observer, force the outcome. Ok by observing it, we open up the box and the cat see they're alive. We and we see that the cats alive right or we open up the box in the chest. Then we see the cats dead, the point of Nils Board
Copenhagen interpretation is so these things exist in their superposition right and when we observe them, we force them into basically choice. We collapse right here, wave function, we collapse or superposition and now they're alive cat or two dead cat, but it's because we observed- and until we observe therein this state of all states at one
its that's where I am like it said it has. It's gotta have something to do with your brain, because my brother was a big math guy and he stood Tudor me. So
and he could never understand how I didn't get math dislike
I don't understand how they get physics on that level, but I don't
stand. How someone can't sing on key.
Is to me you hear the note and you just replicated you note. I understand what were bringing cramp feels like a right now, I'm so chuck the again the great thing, the comforting thing tat the thing that allows me to sleep at night about borders, aside from Belgium,
ensconced sure the part about bourse theory. Those comforting is that again it's up to us right guys. Don't we do? We can't look at a cat and see it in a state of life and death. It simultaneously right,
We force things to happen in at the very least. Things makes sense to us and that, in that way, yeah right with the many worlds again
we have nothing to do with it. It right happens on its own de cohesion, happen sire like instantaneously. Whenever there is a decision made by conscious being and even worse so times, not linear right, it exists in like these jumps and starts and branches right, and so for every decision ever made by any conscious entity that includes rabbits chuck that there's the universe is split in every possible way
play lost. It is and it's the basis of not just lost, but like a lot of other, there been a lot of other works. What was that one? Third contact you sent me it with a cast
film or something like that, you either some pretty global short films. Oh yeah there's a basis because it so mind boggling, awe and the great thing is- is a quantum physics.
The have like a little bit of a sense of humor or, at the very least,
Well aware that what they're saying it is completely nuts right, you're, ok, don't kill a messenger; it is trying to figure out what the hell
by quantum theory has not understood it right at that says it all. It does say it all in, and I think also what it did was bought conferences some time right.
Yes John. She said that anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it right at that says it all. It does say it all in and I think also what it did was bought quantum physicists and time.
Yeah. It's like you go figure this era. We really go figure this out. Well, I'm coming explain to you. You got a little clever there on the last page, which I appreciated when he said that there are these different theories and when you talk about quantum fist,
in a lot of contradict each other, and maybe, if you believe in this kind of quantum stuff,
maybe they're all right through our area
maybe the ones that contradict each other there, both right depending on what universe. Your answer, you depends of your many worlds- interpretation David Tee, then that would be. That would be so quantum yes supercontinent, so Raven we should be wearing Tron outfits right now saw the trail of the other day. Man before inception looks really get, although I gotta say I liked conception, but I would say it could have been better. I enjoyed it, I did to christian organ direct and right.
The crowd out of a movie yeah, but how much of it, though, is that no one else is making anything even remotely waterborne, yeah you're right. He came along at a good time to make
He did so that com suicide in a back and wait to see
remain on this mammal. Yes, physics, guys right and yes, it's an item
in front of my means really enlightening? They take it really seriously osier its autumn and don't forget,
check. We met somebody in New York at the Knitting factory. I believe who is a quantum physicist who explained to us like how we screwed up the large hadron collider.
So if you're out, there can renew name remind us that the Hebron, the collider did
you have no higher now those are
their comedy true much debate around the collided ever podcast ticket. I guess now what
time for listener. Milvey have something at you are it's time for listening,
Josh,
this cool, kieva wedding! Ok, can I throw something in first place? There's something we we ve overlooked
too many episodes gone by my opinion, but we need that. We need to put this out their numbers Sean from Virginia Beach, the cubicle guy yeah, just viz like Alison everything in there's. No, there is no origin of heavy rob. Man
the call out for everybody to let us know where hippy Rob first appeared in what capacity we got a great response area
underwriting was Emmi Amy
people writing enemy. But thanks for everybody for writing in, if you go back and listen to how squatting works,
Do approximately two fifty mark two minute? Fifty second mark
fine, the origin of hippy Rob and if you want to show up the also shows up at about the same place in the earthquake, podcast too and elsewhere. But those are the two largest chunks of the happy Rob saga is peppered through. I admit funny that the state is this out their existing somewhere and has no idea it's like another pair
never exactly well! You can judge this is from Jana in Minnesota and she says
adjusting Jack, I'm a huge fan of the sheriff. I wanted to share a story with you. My husband and I recently got married. You nineteenth two thousand ten, so muzzle thought to that.
You know the reception when people doing the glass to make newlyweds. Guess I'm not sure if it's a tradition in Georgia are not sort of this. I think that if we ended up with paper, captain unheard did you really know we did have a budget wedding, but we didn't pick ups plastic, repeating our model,
classy thank you. Everyone else starts to also doing their glass, and then you have to stop eating you kiss my husband,
I didn't like that idea and some
about the annoying clanging sounded so my fun positive,
with demanding yeah. You can't make me kiss ass. What I said,
Obstinate,
so we decided that people had to put money in a jar to make its kiss great idea all the money
since our job would be no need to keep a fantastic through the
if you should know micro, ending setting the micro lending site? You know we lobbied of socially responsible Micro Linux. Yet we should also spell that, because we get called out cause, it's such a weird word. It is k I ve a dot, org and then slash team, slash stuff. You should now you if you want to do
for our team, so I she said it wasn't the biggest fundraiser of all time or anything they made about fifty bucks and kisses, and they were happy to donate to that's too loans right there, and I just thought it was called it.
Been included now in someone's wedding day and wedding night. Another one
I guess waiting to cause a divorce that would bring this full circle
I know we help. Somebody threw divorce in wait till we get an email from somebody was getting worse fani. I think we have an thanks.
That was Jennifer Minnesota thanks, Jana and husband. Congratulations on your wedding and if
chuck in I have hasten the end of your wedding or have been present at the birth of your kid or whatever any major lie.
We want to hear about it,
this an email to stuff Podcast House of works not come.
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Transcript generated on 2020-01-27.