Can someone Freak me out with Quantum Mechanics?

Question

Hi. I have no mathematical background (at least not with vector calculus) and little scientific info regarding this theory- -but im interested

Can someone please just freak me out a bit with some of the basic ideas of quantum mechanics?

I know the obvious stuff---like from a Brief Historyo f Time, etc
but

What are the ideas with ex. sum over histories, a truck being a wave, virtual particles/reflecting millions of light yrs away --wave functions etc

I have an basic understanding of all of these --but not enough to scare myself --Can someone just expalin in the enough so I can scare myself a bit because it's so bizzare???

Thnks

Answer 1

Light behaves both as a wave and a particle, but not at the same time. You can devise an experiment to show light is a wave, or you can have an experiment to show light is a particle (photon) but not both at once....

Also you can make en electron beam scatter like a light wave through a diffraction grating, even if the electrons are being fired one at a time.... the electron has to go through one slit or the other, as they are separated by several times the size of the electron, but the electron still appears to go through both slits at once, otherwise you wouldn't see the characteristic diffraction pattern on the other side of the partition. If you can figure this one out please let me know because it makes no sense to me.

Answer 2

Excellent question. It is amazing how reality is stranger than fiction.

Quantum mechanics (and its generalization, quantum field theory) provide many examples of freakiness that have been validated with measurements. For example, the idea of tunneling through a barrier, or parity violation (that physics would not be the same in a universe reflected in a mirror). Also the idea of action at a distance freaked out Einstein himself (see the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox link below).

Taking these proven concepts to try and explain other aspects of nature produce interesting theories such as "quantum foam" (where everything is made of tiny worm holes) and "parallel universes" (where each observable event sprouts a universe for each possible outcome, and our observation chooses which of those universes we enter). There is also the idea we live in 11 dimensions, although we are only aware of 4 of them (which comes out of superstring theory, the only known consistent way to combine the theories of gravity and quantum mechanics).

Answer 3

Quantum mechanics may seem bizarre, but it really only applies on the quantum level - that is, when things are very very small. Like the size of electrons and protons. It's also very complicated mathematically, which is why we can only solve the very simple systems - like the hydrogen atom or the harmonic oscillator.

However, many people don't realize how much math and physics are behind it and try to use it to justify anything they don't, won't, or can't explain - say, like the ******** in 'what the bleep do we know'. It's hard to figure out who knows what they are talking about and who's just bullshitting you - so always ask for the math to back up their arguments. If they can present it, there's a better chance that they are legit.

Answer 4

(1) Take two identical subatomic particles, like electrons, and separate them so that they're totally isolated from each other. Now change some characteristic of either electron, like its spin characteristic. The 'twin' electron will spontaneously and instantaneously change itself to match.

(2) Somehow focus in on a bit of totally empty outer space (..the bit of space should be about 1.6^ minus 20 meters...that's 1.6 preceded by 20 zeros...) Sooner or later within this infinitesimal bit of space two subatomic particles with mass will pop into existence from nothingness.

Answer 5

Sorry, but No I won't freak you out with my thoughts

why would you want to scare yourself, Quantum Mechanics should be fun and exciting.

possibly you need to take a break and come back when it is intresting again.

Answer 6

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc

this one shows the complex theory of light