Probably not well worded (bad at Physics!)
In: Physics
Doesn’t that demonstrate the wave/particle duality of light?
Alternate realities sounds more…quantum
That is one interpretation of quantum mechanics, called many worlds theory.
However, there are other interpretations of quantum mechanics which also explain that experiment, but don’t involve multiple realities.
It establishes that particles dont have definite position
Its not quite applicable on big scales, unless theres something ive yet to know
This (Many Worlds Hypothesis) is one of the possible explanations for what we observe in the double-slit experiment. We have not established that it is correct.
Since we don’t have a definite explanation for that particular phenomenon you really cant answer the question currently. To me it more points to simulation theory or that light is somehow able to alter its state retroactively through time. No matter what its one of the coolest “everyone can see it” mysteries of our time and i’m sure its explanation will be….enlightening
Where can I find a good read about this experiment and results?
My interpretation is that nothing is definitive until it is in an interaction. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there are other universes.
No.
“Multiple universes” is just one theoretical interpretation of what the experiment shows us. But there are other theories that could also explain it.
One of the problems with the multiple universes theory is that so far, we can’t come up with another experiment that would definitely prove if this explanation was true.
We really don’t know “why” most of quantum theory works. We just know that it does. Absolutely, amazingly, incredibly reliably.
No, it explicitly *doesn’t* show that, and cannot possibly show that. Any alternate reality would by definition not be something we experience.
The double-slit experiment shows that a photon is not “just” a little tiny ball moving around.
Not really. But it’s a very difficult concept to explain and wrap your head around, so i’ll give it a go. The problem is “superposition”
So we have our two slits, and we have our photon launcher. It’s going to launch one photon at the two slits. We fire it.
Normal physics would say it would go through one, or the other. Quantum physics says the photon is in a superposition, in other words, its in both positions at once. Or it has the potential to be in both at once. But that doesnt mean its created two universes, one where it went left, and one where it went right. It did both in our universe, despite how weird that seems, and only when we observe the results does the superposition “collapse” into one or the other.
Think of it like tossing a coin. You toss it, and place your hand over it without checking. If the coin were a photon, it would be in a superposition, both heads and tails, until we look and see which one it is. If we don’t look, it doesnt make two universes so both can be true. It just remains both simultaniously.
This is weird. Very weird. And defies our understanding of non-quantum physics. Which is why its so interesting. It shouldnt be able to be both at once, yet it is.
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