Difference between revisions of "45: Schrodinger"

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| title    = Schrodinger
 
| title    = Schrodinger
 
| image    = schrodinger.jpg
 
| image    = schrodinger.jpg
| imagesize =
 
 
| titletext = There was no alt-text until you moused over
 
| titletext = There was no alt-text until you moused over
 
}}
 
}}
  
== Explanation ==
+
==Explanation==
{{w|Schrödinger's cat}} is a famous thought experiment proposed by {{w|Erwin Schrödinger}} to question the {{w|Copenhagen interpretation}} of quantum mechanics.
+
{{w|Schrödinger's cat}} is a famous thought experiment proposed by {{w|Erwin Schrödinger}} to question the {{w|Copenhagen interpretation}} of quantum mechanics.
  
Under the Copenhagen interpretation, an atomic nucleus is described by a {{w|wave function}} that allows one to calculate the probability that it is any given state. A radioactive nucleus with a half-life of one hour, for instance, would have a wave-function that would split, showing two distinct states (decayed, undecayed) that change over time until some "observation" forced the wave-function into one state or another (called "collapsing the wave-function). Before the wave-function is collapsed, it is incorrect to say that the atom has decayed or has not decayed; it is in a "superposition" of states, effectively half-decayed and half-undecayed.
+
Under the Copenhagen interpretation, any particle is described by a {{w|wave function}} that allows one to calculate the probability that it is any given state. A radioactive nucleus with a half-life of one hour, for instance, would have a wave-function that would split, showing two distinct states (decayed, undecayed) that change over time until some "observation" forced the wave-function into one state or another (called "collapsing the wave-function"). Before the wave-function is collapsed, it is incorrect to say that the atom has decayed or has not decayed; it is in a "superposition" of states, effectively half-decayed and half-undecayed.
  
Schrödinger thought this was absurd, and devised the {{w|Schrödinger's cat}} thought experiment to show this. Put a cat in a box, he said, with a device triggered by the decay of an atom with a half-life of one hour that would release a poisonous gas if triggered. Then, after waiting an hour, the Copenhagen interpretation would say that the atom is in a superposition of decayed and undecayed states, and thus, by extension, the cat would be in a superposition of alive and dead states. Only when the box is opened would the wave-function for the cat collapse into either alive or dead states. Since it is absurd for a cat to be both alive and dead, it is absurd for an atom to be both decayed and undecayed. Yet that's what quantum mechanics implied.
+
Schrödinger thought this was absurd, and devised the {{w|Schrödinger's cat}} thought experiment to show this. The experiment goes as follows: Put a cat in a box, he said, with a device triggered by the decay of an atom with a half-life of one hour that would release a poisonous gas if triggered. Then, after waiting an hour, the Copenhagen interpretation would say that the atom is in a superposition of decayed and undecayed states, and thus, by extension, the cat would be in a superposition of alive and dead states. Only when the box is opened would the wave-function for the cat collapse into either alive or dead states. Since it is absurd for a cat to be both alive and dead, it is absurd for an atom to be both decayed and undecayed. Yet that's what quantum mechanics implies.
  
In this comic, [[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] are likening the last panel to the box with the cat: until you read it, it is in a mixed state (a superposition) of both funny and unfunny, and it's wave-function won't collapse until you read it.
+
[[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] are likening the last panel to the box with the cat: until you read it, it is in a mixed state (a superposition) of both funny and unfunny, and its wave-function won't collapse until you read it.
 +
 
 +
The punchline is that the last panel simply says "Shit.", which indeed either applies to the fact that the panel is not funny (and thus the author thinks "Shit. It wasn't funny") or else the reader may be amused by the fact that the build-up of the first three panels leads to the punchline like "shit." Unlike absolute values like the death of a cat or the decay of a nucleus, the humour of the comic is subjective and, in fact, could be both funny and unfunny at the same time (to different readers).
 +
 +
The title text is more akin to the actual problem, suggesting that it did not exist until it was caused to be observed by the mouseover.
  
 
== Transcript ==
 
== Transcript ==
([[Black Hat]] and [[Cueball]] standing under a sign)
+
:[Black Hat and Cueball standing under a sign.]
 
+
:Schrödinger's Comic
[Schrödinger's Comic]
 
  
[The last panel of this comic is both funny and not funny at the same time.]
+
:The last panel of this comic is both funny and not funny at the same time.
  
[Until you read it, there's no way to tell which it will end up being.]
+
:Until you read it, there's no way to tell which it will end up being.
  
[Shit.]
+
:Shit.
  
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
* This is the forty-second comic posted to livejournal. The previous was {{explain|39}}.  The next was {{explain|46}}
+
*Black Hat's hat is beginning to shorten from its top-hat look, although its height varies between panels.
 
+
*This is the forty-second comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was [[39: Bowl]]. The next was [[46: Secrets]].
 +
*The {{w|Schrödinger equation}} was enhanced by {{w|Paul Dirac}} only three years later in 1928: {{w|Dirac equation}}. It did combine the Schrödinger world with Einstein, e.g. relativity.
  
 
{{Comic discussion}}
 
{{Comic discussion}}
 +
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
 +
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
+
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Comics posted on livejournal]]
 

Revision as of 20:43, 7 July 2014

Schrodinger
There was no alt-text until you moused over
Title text: There was no alt-text until you moused over

Explanation

Schrödinger's cat is a famous thought experiment proposed by Erwin Schrödinger to question the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Under the Copenhagen interpretation, any particle is described by a wave function that allows one to calculate the probability that it is any given state. A radioactive nucleus with a half-life of one hour, for instance, would have a wave-function that would split, showing two distinct states (decayed, undecayed) that change over time until some "observation" forced the wave-function into one state or another (called "collapsing the wave-function"). Before the wave-function is collapsed, it is incorrect to say that the atom has decayed or has not decayed; it is in a "superposition" of states, effectively half-decayed and half-undecayed.

Schrödinger thought this was absurd, and devised the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment to show this. The experiment goes as follows: Put a cat in a box, he said, with a device triggered by the decay of an atom with a half-life of one hour that would release a poisonous gas if triggered. Then, after waiting an hour, the Copenhagen interpretation would say that the atom is in a superposition of decayed and undecayed states, and thus, by extension, the cat would be in a superposition of alive and dead states. Only when the box is opened would the wave-function for the cat collapse into either alive or dead states. Since it is absurd for a cat to be both alive and dead, it is absurd for an atom to be both decayed and undecayed. Yet that's what quantum mechanics implies.

Black Hat and Cueball are likening the last panel to the box with the cat: until you read it, it is in a mixed state (a superposition) of both funny and unfunny, and its wave-function won't collapse until you read it.

The punchline is that the last panel simply says "Shit.", which indeed either applies to the fact that the panel is not funny (and thus the author thinks "Shit. It wasn't funny") or else the reader may be amused by the fact that the build-up of the first three panels leads to the punchline like "shit." Unlike absolute values like the death of a cat or the decay of a nucleus, the humour of the comic is subjective and, in fact, could be both funny and unfunny at the same time (to different readers).

The title text is more akin to the actual problem, suggesting that it did not exist until it was caused to be observed by the mouseover.

Transcript

[Black Hat and Cueball standing under a sign.]
Schrödinger's Comic
The last panel of this comic is both funny and not funny at the same time.
Until you read it, there's no way to tell which it will end up being.
Shit.

Trivia

  • Black Hat's hat is beginning to shorten from its top-hat look, although its height varies between panels.
  • This is the forty-second comic originally posted to livejournal. The previous was 39: Bowl. The next was 46: Secrets.
  • The Schrödinger equation was enhanced by Paul Dirac only three years later in 1928: Dirac equation. It did combine the Schrödinger world with Einstein, e.g. relativity.


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Discussion

There were no comments until you scrolled down. 108.162.219.246 20:21, 1 December 2014 (UTC)

There were two comments before you scrolled down. 173.245.56.130 12:02, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

...shit...--TheTimeBandit (talk) 21:20, 30 October 2017 (UTC)

I read it as: The comic is not funny, and thus the curse word is because it's not funny. Does anyone else agree? 01:22, 5 February 2021 (UTC)

This is the BEST for me, so my cat ended up being funny 162.158.129.112 15:12, 22 May 2023 (UTC)