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> Quantum Mechanics sort of throw a superposition of wrenches into that puppy Maybe because we don't understand it enough quite yet! I'm sure gravity was hard
by everdev 8y ago
> Quantum Mechanics sort of throw a superposition of wrenches into that puppy
Maybe because we don't understand it enough quite yet! I'm sure gravity was hard to explain when it was first being talked about.
- TeMPOraL 8y agoRough idea for a barmaid-level explanation: "Quantum mechanics pop up because the stuff we're made of isn't very small balls. It's really a manifestation of waves. How can something that's made of waves behave like particles? Let me show you: [proceeds to pull out a length of cable, tying one end of it to some structure] [proceeds to wave the other end, creating a wave on the cable, pointing out how the peaks move forward] [proceeds to wave faster, creating a standing wave, pointing out the nodes] Roughly like this. You can think of the moving peak, or the standing node, as particles - stationary or in motion. They're not really there, but you can point to them and name them. Now all the weird stuff that quantum mechanics is about - quantum tunneling, double slit experiments, etc. - appear when you stop looking at particles, and start doing the math on the underlying waves."