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Quantum mechanics?

Sailor_A

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It's pretty straight forward. What do you guys think about quantum mechanics?

Straight forward? I have nightmares about psi:p. The particles in a infinite well are just fine but when there is a box there is a probability they are not in it. And don't even ask my poor cat; she was mortified about Schrodinger's :).

Straight forward? I think not but than I am not an infinite well of quantum knowledge.
 
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fenix144

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Straight forward? I have nightmares about psi:p. The particles in a infinite well are just fine but when there is a box there is a probability they are not in it. And don't even ask my poor cat; she was mortified about Schrodinger's :).

Straight forward? I think not but than I am not an infinite well of quantum knowledge.

Yeah maybe straight forward isn't to be used in regard to quantum mechanics. I read on the subject yesterday and I was pretty much blown away.
 
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Sailor_A

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It's fun.
A place to sink curiosity of the natural world. A relatively new frontier, smashing atoms to find the smaller stuff. I can't wait till they wind up collisions for the Higgs Boson and accidently make a black hole that sucks the planet up :)

lol that reminds me a lot of this:
121.png
 
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Sailor_A

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Yeah maybe straight forward isn't to be used in regard to quantum mechanics. I read on the subject yesterday and I was pretty much blown away.

I've only been studying the topic for half a term and I realize there is so much I don't know. I wish they told you in popular science books how many equations you were going to meet.
 
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Naraoia

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I've only been studying the topic for half a term and I realize there is so much I don't know. I wish they told you in popular science books how many equations you were going to meet.

Yeah I've read about it in the grand design. No idea if Hawking does a good job at it.
Not that it really matters. Good job or not I suspect I'd still be confused.
I don't know, it might actually make more sense when you add the equations.

Wish I'd done physics instead of chemistry as my "other subject" in the IB. I could have got some real quantum stuff instead of nebulous statements about electron clouds.
 
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thaumaturgy

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It's pretty straight forward. What do you guys think about quantum mechanics?

I've spent the last 15 years working as a chemist which means I have at least a nodding aquaintance with the topic and I spend a lot of time reading about the history of quantum, but gosh-ahmighty, "straightforward" is the last adjective I'd use for QM.

It is fascinating to see how it developed and realize that unless you immerse yourself into it you'll never get anywhere near a real grip on everything that underlies it.

I believe Neils Bohr, one of the fathers of Quantum is supposed to have said: "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it."

That kind of sums it up, doesn't it?
 
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AV1611VET

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I believe Neils Bohr, one of the fathers of Quantum is supposed to have said: "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it."
Think about it, if Neils Bohr would have invented the O-ring, he could have called it the Bohr Ring -- ^_^
 
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fenix144

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I've spent the last 15 years working as a chemist which means I have at least a nodding aquaintance with the topic and I spend a lot of time reading about the history of quantum, but gosh-ahmighty, "straightforward" is the last adjective I'd use for QM.

It is fascinating to see how it developed and realize that unless you immerse yourself into it you'll never get anywhere near a real grip on everything that underlies it.

I believe Neils Bohr, one of the fathers of Quantum is supposed to have said: "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it."

That kind of sums it up, doesn't it?

Indeed.
 
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RickG

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I've spent the last 15 years working as a chemist which means I have at least a nodding aquaintance with the topic and I spend a lot of time reading about the history of quantum, but gosh-ahmighty, "straightforward" is the last adjective I'd use for QM.

It is fascinating to see how it developed and realize that unless you immerse yourself into it you'll never get anywhere near a real grip on everything that underlies it.

I believe Neils Bohr, one of the fathers of Quantum is supposed to have said: "Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it."

That kind of sums it up, doesn't it?

Friend, you and I are from similar molds. I spent over 25 years as a chemist and process engineer. When I see posts suggesting that physics has changed in the past, I just sit in bewilderment and think, if those people only had a minimal basic understanding of physics at the quantum level, they would know what they are suggesting is not even remotely possible.
 
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Hobz

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I did Nanotechnology in Uni, did my honours working with CNTs and their interactions with photons. Lots of electrons, lots of potential wells, and lots of headaches. Being buried in QM and having to dig yourself out of it was quite an experience. Funny thing is I still don't understand many of the "basic" principles to a proper extent. As soon as you think you've gotten something knuckled down and understood, some unexpected result or application readjusts your world to the upside-down position.

Still, nothing seems quite as amazing and as elegant as the underlying frameworks of our reality.
 
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mzungu

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We would not have satellites in orbit were it not for QM (theory of relativity). The beauty of QM is that it delves into worlds where even the imagination dares not tread into. QM is a vital tool for technological progress and is certainly not for the faint-hearted. I break a sweat whenever I try to fathom some of the weirdness involved!

Alas! We are bound by our 3 dimensional reality and can only at best see or feel the shadows that are cast from the higher dimensions.

My opinion on QM: FASCINATING and AWE INSPIRING! :wave:
 
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