IUBio

SV: Capacity of the brain

Erik Max Francis max at alcyone.com
Fri Oct 22 13:50:05 EST 1999


Patrik Bagge wrote:

> ok, is there a way of expressing the nature of this entanglement
> (not necessary precise) to an amatour in the matters such as myself.

For the sake of argument, take a particle which decays into two
particles, one which has up spin and one which has down spin (it does
not matter if you know what this means, just as long as you understand
that it's something observable and up and down are distinct) -- but you
don't know which one has which.  Now let the particles drift away from
each other.  When they are light-years apart, measure the spin of one of
the particles; let's say (for argument) that it's up.  The wavefunction
of the other particle immediately (no speed of light delay) collapses
and the other particle will now be observed as being down.

There will be a correlation, but without comparing data on both sides
(through some other, more mundane means), you wouldn't even know there
is one.  That is, something interesting _is_ happening, but you cannot
use it to transmit any information.

> ok, point understood, any better sources?

Physics textbooks would be a place to start.  Failing that, try some
popularizations.  John Gribbin has some fairly good ones on quantum
mechanics.

-- 
Erik Max Francis | icq 16063900 | whois mf303 | email max at alcyone.com
 Alcyone Systems | irc maxxon (efnet) | web http://www.alcyone.com/max/
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             USA | Fri 1999 Oct 22 (42%/950) | &tSftDotIotE
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/  \ But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited?
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