Author Topic: Quantum mechanics (Read 4351 times)

Trinity · « **on:** July 14, 2007, 07:23:14 PM »

What is it?

PinoyMonk · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2007, 07:32:17 PM »

Confusing.

Trinity · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2007, 07:55:11 PM »

Thanks for the chuckle, Pinoy. Anyone else want to take a stab at it?

PinoyMonk · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2007, 07:57:06 PM »

It is an honour to serve.

Trinity · « **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2007, 08:19:13 PM »

While you're serving, check this out. Black holes suck everything up, right? At least that's what I was taught in Physical Science. Now I learn that they emit vast amounts of energy, I gather from all the gas/material they suck up. How the heck is it transformed?

PinoyMonk · « **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2007, 08:32:29 PM »

The first notion that comes to mind is that the massive amounts of pressure that the vacuum would cause could theoretically change the matter into energy. That's my nonsense theory of blackholes.

Remember what Einstein said? e=mc^2

Maybe I'm right? =P

Pinoy Monk

Trinity · « **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2007, 09:10:06 PM »

I think some kid or someone blew Einstein's theory out of the water. Heard something about that anyway. I know quantum mechanics and quasars, black holes and all that, aren't the same, but God made the lot and isn't it wonderful?

Trinity · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2007, 08:22:37 AM »

Doesn't anyone know anything about quantum mechanics? You know, as much of a mystery as these things propose, it is nothing next the mystery of God. As fascinating as they are to study, how infinitisemal they are to the Beatific Vision.

dust-7 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 16, 2007, 07:50:35 AM »

Quote from: Trinity

Doesn't anyone know anything about quantum mechanics? You know, as much of a mystery as these things propose, it is nothing next the mystery of God. As fascinating as they are to study, how infinitisemal they are to the Beatific Vision.

We don't have the Beatific Vision. And the models of today can be the historical curiosities of tomorrow, or the long-discredited theories of tomorrow.

What we see on the cosmic scale is something that is beyond our physical experience, here. What we see is essentially the power of gravity, and how matter and energy can change states, as it were, at such a large scale. Many nebulae stretch across many light years, an unimaginably large size The great stellar explosions are the release of energy from this. A particularly large star may wind down with a particularly massive explosion, producing a black hole, perhaps, or a pulsar at its center. The black hole concentrates mass such that even light cannot escape, and can rake in unimaginable amounts of gas which matter/energy continues to exist within the event horizon, but are not seen again. Even the idea of time and space have no analog on earth. We are left to say that what happened 25,000 years ago, is happening - now - because now is when the light has finally reached us. Yet if we attempted to follow 'that star', time and space would also change for us, as well, particularly at high near-light speeds, were such even possible.

Trinity · « **Reply #9 on:** July 16, 2007, 08:06:16 AM »

Explain please:

Quote

Even the idea of time and space have no analog on earth

veritas · « **Reply #10 on:** July 16, 2007, 10:38:42 AM »

Quantum mechanics is a branch of theoretical physics that is primarily concerned with the subatomic level of atoms and how they react; i.e. their properties and energy.

What would you like to know about quantum mechanics?

Trinity · « **Reply #11 on:** July 16, 2007, 11:00:32 AM »

Thank you, Veritas. It was my understanding that quantum mechanics had to do with the structure (and behavior?) of all matter. So that goes for everything from subatomic to universe, right? I read that in some instances effect can come before cause, which is puzzling, but not what I'm getting at. Here is the pertinent paragraph which gave me some ideas I would like to pursue but need someone who knows the nuts and bolts of this discipline to help me.

Quote

Every point in the universe is directly connected to every other point, regardless of distance, so any point on Mars is, in some mysterious way, as close to me as is any of you. Which means it's possible for information---and objects, even people---to move instantly between here and London without wires or microwave transmission. In fact, between here and a distant star, instantly. We just haven't figured out how to make it happpen. Indeed on a deep structural level, every point in the universe is the same point. This interconnectedness is so complete that a great flock of birds taking flight in Tokyo, disturbing the air with their wings, contributes to weather changes in Chicago.

veritas · « **Reply #12 on:** July 16, 2007, 11:22:30 AM »

Quote

Every point in the universe is directly connected to every other point, regardless of distance, so any point on Mars is, in some mysterious way, as close to me as is any of you. Which means it's possible for information---and objects, even people---to move instantly between here and London without wires or microwave transmission. In fact, between here and a distant star, instantly. We just haven't figured out how to make it happpen. Indeed on a deep structural level, every point in the universe is the same point. This interconnectedness is so complete that a great flock of birds taking flight in Tokyo, disturbing the air with their wings, contributes to weather changes in Chicago.

This is a modified and simplified version of string theory physics. In this theory all of time and space are linear as if ordered on a string. When the string is bunched up (like our universe) we can theoretically "touch" the other parts of time and space.

veritas · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2007, 11:32:16 AM »

Quote from: Trinity

Thank you, Veritas. It was my understanding that quantum mechanics had to do with the structure (and behavior?) of all matter. So that goes for everything from subatomic to universe, right? I read that in some instances effect can come before cause, which is puzzling, but not what I'm getting at. Here is the pertinent paragraph which gave me some ideas I would like to pursue but need someone who knows the nuts and bolts of this discipline to help me.

Quantum physics does deal with matter because all matter is made of atoms. When you reach the subatomic level of matter you are primarily dealing with the way things act within time and space. At this level, things react in ways which can defy our normal understanding but have a reason to react in that way.

I hope this helps. It is very difficult to try and simplify theoretical physics and even harder to understand. I am sorry if I did not help much.

Trinity · « **Reply #14 on:** July 16, 2007, 12:05:37 PM »

Hang tight, Veritas. You have confirmed some things, and that helps.

What I was thinking of was some of the things Jesus said and did. We know that God is the architect of all of this and we are simply snooping, so to speak. So Jesus made all of this and was Master of it all. With this theory (and as Dust said, this could one day be considered archaic) it may be that Jesus was NOT doing anything unnatural when he walked on water or suggested that we could move mountains.

Consider the preborn. Why can't he see people, or smell flowers, or taste a potato? They are all around him, aren't they? We know by faith that there are angels and demons all around us, yet we can't see them or otherwise sense them. St. Paul said eye has not seen, nor ear has heard... Although I believe he was speaking of heaven, I wonder if there isn't much more to things right here---and much more things. The saints have done some really remarkable things, too.