rationalskepticism.org

hackenslash wrote:Really? You might want to have a word with your computer about that.

computers use 1 and 0? schrodinger's thought experiment uses the variable of the decaying matter. the cat's status is the result not the variable. copenhagen states that the matter can be decaying and not at the same time then the conclusions of schrodinger is disproving this statement. how is this not debunking?

hackenslash wrote:No. Indeed the function we use for these waves is the Schrödinger equation, also known as the Schrödinger wave equation.

is it the only equation used to measure the wavefunction?

hackenslash wrote:Huh? That doesn't parse correctly in English. If it's what I think you're trying to say, then no. It's observation that collapses the wavefunction, but you have to be careful how you define 'observe' and 'observer', because those terms don't necessarily mean what you think they mean.

measuring and observing are different things. we don't have the technology to observe particles in areas as of yet without collapsing the wavefunction

hackenslash wrote:Indeed. That would constitute an observation of the system, thereby collapsing the wavefunction.

that is a result, observation or not. check this link here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_quantum_mechanics and scroll down the the conclusion area, there is a chart that shows different interpretations and some do not suggest collapsing of the wavefunction?

hackenslash wrote:Well, observation is collapse of the wavefunction, and we don't actually have a problem.

take the quantum state measuring electrons that are around a nucleus, for instance. with advanced technology, the electrons can be observed in the electron cloud of the atom. thus the wavefunction collapsing or not would be a moot point.

hackenslash wrote:No, because this is nothing to do with technology. We can't possess the technology to observe without collapsing the wavefunction, because observation and collapse are one and the same. There exists no such technology.

we can possess the advanced technology for observing without collapsing the wavefunction. it is possible. it doesn't exist yet, but it can exist. our grandchildren could be using them and not us but it's possible none the less.

lucek wrote:OK first I'm going to echo the others. Schrodinger's Cat is actually a straw man that has sense been adopted to describe effects inconceivable to most 100 level physics students. Others like this include the big bang, the lader of evolution etc.

is it to separate classical mechanics from quantum mechanics concepts (like wave-particle duality)?