quantum mechanics?

Question

i saw a tv show the other day about this woman who had a robot copy of herself made, but when she finds out, she says that's impossible because it violates quantum mechanics, i thought that quantum mechanics dealt with extremely small particles! can someone explain this to me?

Answer 1

QM deals with subatomic particles (e.g., photons, electrons, bosons, muons) that have quantum jitter. That is, they are always in motion, moving about like so many Mexican jumping beans on a plate. QM does a nice job of describing the patterns of the jitters. These patterns form probability densities that can be used to predict things like momenta and location of these jittery objects.

A good example of this are the probability density "clouds" of electrons surrounding the core of an atom. Where the clouds are most dense is the volume around the core where we are most likely to find a given electron. Where that dense volume of the probability cloud is in relation to the core of an atom depends on the energy of the electron.

So, as many answers have already pointed out, a robot the size of a woman is not handled well by QM. But I can offer some other possibilities.

Perhaps the robot's cognitive center (i.e., brain) is based on QM. Recent scientific breakthroughs in quantum mechanics have allowed scientists to put the equivalent of a large desk top computer DRAM memory onto 100 atoms. What's that nowadays...a couple of giga bytes? And they do this by invoking the up/down (binary) orientations of quantum particles.

So perhaps the real woman was referring to her persona, as provided by the rotbotic brain, as not being copyable. This would result because of the random, jittery nature of quanta.

But, and this is a big BUT, she has ignored the possibility of so-called quantum entanglement. [See source.] Theoretically at least, the quanta of her real brain could be entangled with the quanta of the robotic brain. In which case, what the robot did, thought, etc. as controlled by the robotic brain, would exactly duplicate what the real woman's brain was doing and controlling. And that exact copy would do it simultaneously with the real woman's thoughts and actions.

Wierd stuff...quantum entanglement...worth reading the cited source if you're interested in such things.

Answer 2

Mr. Zwink is right, it's just badly written sci-fi. Having a robot copy of yourself made does not violate quantum mechanics in any way.

Answer 3

The position equation of QM dictates uncertain momentum. QM will be hard pressed for reducing its uncertainty below 34 magnitudes. Therefore, the only violation I see possible is it stepped on the toes of Uncertainty Principle by implying that every scenario was accounted for in the creation of the robot. I'm also guessing bc I haven't seen the show.

Answer 4

hi Nuff; i in my opinion sense, with actual no clinical evidence, that each and each determination we make daily provides an hazard for yet another ( or parallel universe). I join the Robert A. Heinlein theory, probably until now it slow yet, a tremendous fiction author. attempt "The variety of The Beast" or "Stranger In a wierd Land"stable mild exciting reads. yet time is a severe concern, and one i'm afraid I actual have very fixed notions upon. As i think God created it,and holds it until, as you will possibly say the time is nice, and guy could pass forward in basic terms, living each and each 2nd to the fullest, as there is not any going back. "The previous is history, the destiny a secret, we are able to in basic terms stay in the now." yet to punch a hollow into yet another universe, will probably ensue sometime, what happens next? properly which would be an entire distinctive universe returned. LOL have exciting with this one! Bob

Answer 5

You're watching a movie about a person who makes a robot copy of herself and you want to know if the writers are applying quantum physics correctly? I think sci-fi writers are generally given a "poetic license" when it comes to these types of things.

Answer 6

I can tie QM into the very small or the very large. It brings up interesting new things in the subjects of Big Bang, God, parapsychology, magic, teleporters, and time travel just to name a few.

But I dont see a connection to what you said.

Answer 7

you are right. quantum mechanics deals with the laws of motion at the subatomic level. i dont see a connection with robots either. its probably just crappy fiction.

Answer 8

I don't see the connection either.