2933: Elementary Physics Paths

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Elementary Physics Paths

Title text: ==COSMOLOGY==> 'Uhhh ... how sure are we that everything is made of these?'

Explanation

This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by a VERY NOT SIMPLE PARTICLE - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.

The absurdity of understanding everything starting from just understanding basic particles is similar to the fallacy presented in 1570: Engineer Syllogism. Quantum physics, as shown in the comic, makes what on first glance are “simple” particles very complicated.

The concepts of reductionism and then antireductionism (or holism) are demonstrated by following the left causal path using a 'traditional' physical approach.

Following the right path, which looks at things in terms of quantum effects, just leads to the conclusion that it is an intrinsically irreducable problem. Some problems in quantum field theroy are that particles never stop moving, they can somtimes pass through "unpassable" barriers, you can never know the spin and potion of them at the same time, and everything is governed by probability. One famous example of this is {w|Schrödinger's cat}. Schrödinger's cat is a mind experiment where a cat is placed in a box along with a radioactive sample. Also inside is a {w|Geiger counter} connected to a poison. The radiactive sample has a 50/50 chance of decaying, therfor setting off the Geiger counter, releasing the poison and killing the cat. Schrödinger points out that according to Quantum Theroy, the cat is neither dead nor alive, its instead in a super possession of being both dead and alive.

It is noted that Schrödinger was argueing against Quantum Theroy stating it a 'quite ridiculous case'. However because of the complexity of the senario, many people belived he was added to Quantum Theroy instead of dening it.

The title text creates an ASCII depiction of the arrows used in the comic image and alludes to the uncertainty that we even know enough about what everything that exists actually is.

Transcript

[Cueball gestures at a particle, represented as a dot with motion lines around it.]

Cueball: Everything is made of tiny particles. If I understand those, I'll understand everything!

[The comic splits into two branches.]

[Condensed Matter Physics branch]

[Cueball is fretting over a cloud of particles.]

Cueball: Oh no.

Cueball: Simple particles can combine to produce complex behaviors.

[Quantum Field Theory branch]

[Cueball is fretting over the same particle as in the first panel.]

Cueball: Oh no.

Cueball: These particles aren't simple!

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Discussion

First comment, heh. Psychoticpotato (talk) 20:27, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

See also 1258: First. --162.158.159.7 23:21, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I assume the cosmology comment from the alt text is related to the speculative nature of dark matter and dark energy, but I am too ignorant of of cosmology to know if there is something more specific being referenced.172.69.23.203 22:27, 15 May 2024 (UTC)