Monday, January 14, 2008

Dead Cat or Alive Cat...?

OK let me explain... Firstly you need a Living Cat... Something cute like this...


Then u need some cyanide, a big mental box, a gieger counter, a trigger and some decaying radioactive material. Hook up the gieger counter to the trigger so it releases the cyanide if while measuring the decaying radioactive material a single atom is released (allow a sample size of radioactive stuff equivalent to a probable 50% chance of success/failure). Place the cute cat in the Metal Box along with the other equipment, secure the lid and leave it alone for an hour.

Now, because atoms kinda occupy two different space times places (What! Sorry I'm not really up to speed with the correct Quantum Physics Lingo!), one state when they're being observed and a different state when they're not, we have a paradox depending on whether we see the state of the Atom as being observed or not observed. The cat which would die if the cyanide was released (the observed state of the Atom), now too occupies the space time of the un-observed atom as well as it's normal physical state. The Cat is Neither Dead nor Alive!


The reason I posted my over simplistic explanation of the Schrodinger Cat experiment is because at the weekend I found myself trying desperately, and unsuccessfully, to explain it. So for all you out there that still believe life is simple, your either Dead or Alive, a proper explanation can be found Here (Wiki)....

Yep... Beats me to... (And that's probably why I only got to chapter three of a Brief History Of Everything, accept how I managed to marry a good looking woman, by Stephen Hawkins, then I found listening to Take-That albums less boring!)

Ciao Ciao
Confused From Cambridge
I BLOG There4 I AM

7Comments:

Blogger gemmak said...

Jeez man, I just don't think my mind was made in a manner suitable to comprehend this quantum mechanics stuff but I'm off to Wiki to try again!

Cute cat tho' incidentally! ;o)

7:14 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

For those following up on this, I have always liked the way this guy does it

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_122.html

8:31 pm  
Blogger Lisa said...

Most days, you just frighten the hell out of me. :)

2:02 am  
Blogger Fletch said...

Gem... Its easy, honest... Trust me, I'm a doctor ;o)

Anon... Liked that :o)

Lisa... How do you think it feels being me... Most days I frighten myself! ;O)

8:33 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Killing a cat ...noooooo ..Okay okay so i dont exactly understand the concept just please dont hurt the cute kitty :)

11:57 am  
Blogger Fletch said...

Hedgepig... NO actually cats were harmed during the writing of this Blog.. :O)

12:52 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

na dnt killed them =( their so cute =0 so yea i love cats! so yea i love ma babe=)

7:38 pm  

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