Had dinner with an old friend tonight. I really enjoy my friendship with Dan because he looks at life from a very scientific and logical perspective. Our conversation drifted into the metaphysical and Quantum Theory. Actually, people at a table nearby were discussing a film called "What The Bleep Do We Know?" and that's what diverted the discussion to Quantum Theory. I never really got very deep into Physics, not for lack of understanding, but for lack of attention...too dry. Dan on the otherhand, has a deep affinity for such things. His verve for such ponderings is infectious and I can't help but go along for the ride. We always wind up somewhere I've never ventured to on my own.
Anyhoo, we began talking about Superposition Theory, and applying it to the last 6 chaotic months of my life. Superposition describes a confounding concept about the nature and behavior of matter and forces at the atomic level, specifically that while we can't know what the state of any object is, it is actually in all possible states simultaneously...as long as we don't look to check. It's the act of observing that causes the object to be limited to a single possibility. To best understand Superposition Theory, it's neccessary to develop a model of the theory. Fortunately, someone has already done this...bless you Erwin Schrodinger.
Schrodinger's Cat: This model was developed to show how Superposition could be applied in the real world.
In this model, we place a living cat inside a box and close the lid. Also inside the box, with the cat, are a vial of poison, a hammer and a small amount of radioactive material. According to the model, if even one atom of the radioactive material decays, the hammer will drop, breaking the vial and killing the cat.
Now here is where it gets interesting...we have no way of knowing if an atom has decayed, if the hammer has broken the vial and consequently, if the cat has been killed. According to Superposition Theory then, the cat is both alive and dead simultaniously...at the same time. It's not until we open the box and discover the cat's condition that superposition is lost and the cat becomes one or the other, alive or dead.
This situation is refered to as "Observers Paradox". Meaning, the act of observation or measurement of an event affects the OUTCOME of the observation or measurement of that event. One can change reality simply by observing it...
How does this apply to the last 6 months of my life?
I AM the cat. I'm INSIDE the box. And I still don't know if I'm alive or dead. I'd love for someone to develop a model for that.
Anyhoo, we began talking about Superposition Theory, and applying it to the last 6 chaotic months of my life. Superposition describes a confounding concept about the nature and behavior of matter and forces at the atomic level, specifically that while we can't know what the state of any object is, it is actually in all possible states simultaneously...as long as we don't look to check. It's the act of observing that causes the object to be limited to a single possibility. To best understand Superposition Theory, it's neccessary to develop a model of the theory. Fortunately, someone has already done this...bless you Erwin Schrodinger.
Schrodinger's Cat: This model was developed to show how Superposition could be applied in the real world.
In this model, we place a living cat inside a box and close the lid. Also inside the box, with the cat, are a vial of poison, a hammer and a small amount of radioactive material. According to the model, if even one atom of the radioactive material decays, the hammer will drop, breaking the vial and killing the cat.
Now here is where it gets interesting...we have no way of knowing if an atom has decayed, if the hammer has broken the vial and consequently, if the cat has been killed. According to Superposition Theory then, the cat is both alive and dead simultaniously...at the same time. It's not until we open the box and discover the cat's condition that superposition is lost and the cat becomes one or the other, alive or dead.
This situation is refered to as "Observers Paradox". Meaning, the act of observation or measurement of an event affects the OUTCOME of the observation or measurement of that event. One can change reality simply by observing it...
How does this apply to the last 6 months of my life?
I AM the cat. I'm INSIDE the box. And I still don't know if I'm alive or dead. I'd love for someone to develop a model for that.