• NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    If we could know the current state of every particle in the universe, we could accurately predict the future.

    Physicists already thought of this. The uncertainty principle forbids knowing a particles position and momentum to within a certain accuracy at the same time. Basically, the more you know of one, the less you know of the other. Applied to any two complimentary. variables.

    Turns out, it’s a fundamental property of wave-particle nature of systems.

    • Clent@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      What you’re describing is a measurement problem.

      Our inability to measure things today does not mean our future selves won’t think of some clever mechanism to do so.

      Quantum mechanics is just math that feels right.

      There is much we known that we do not known.

      • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        If you at least read the Wikipedia article on the heisenberg uncertainty principle, you’d know that’s not the case. Although physicists did think that for a long time was what was going on.

        I’m not even trying to offer a counter point to whether or not free will exists or not. We don’t know the answer to that question. I was simply providing some context to what OP said, and how it is actually impossible to do.

        • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️@yiffit.net
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          1 year ago

          I’m just a dumb dog, but I’ve never understood why we couldn’t predict the spin of a particle (or why its spin is important). Like… It sounds like a weird philosophical thing more than actual physics and, to my limited understanding, boils down to “we don’t know the truth until we see it.”

          Which, I mean… No shit? Is there an easier way of explaining WTF it means in a practical application? Or is that really what it comes down to?

          What mechanism actually makes knowing or accurately predicting this information about particles impossible that it isn’t just a measurement issue?

      • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Also, quantum mechanics is not math that feels right. It is literally the best most experimentally validated theory we have to describe the universe at this time.

        Maybe some day we can do better. But it certainly isn’t based on a feeling.

        • Clent@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Quantum mechanics proves that quantum mechanics is valid.

          It is the mostly widely accepted interpretation but it is not the only one.

          We’ve been confident before and spent centuries chasing literal ether.

          The Copenhagen interpretation is just that, an interpretation.

          We’ve chased it for decades and are no closer to resolving it with classical mechanics.

          I’m sure future scientists to scoff our demand that there be an “observer”

          It still cannot account for gravity.

          The formulas pretend it doesn’t exist. It reminds me of a physicals 101 class pretending friction doesn’t exist.

          Friction exists and so does gravity, therefore they are both pretend.

          • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Thats not even true, we’ve been trying to come up with a unifying theory that encompasses quantum gravity for a while. This stuff is hard dude. And you don’t know what you’re talking about at all.

            • Clent@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Trying and failing.

              Is it not possible that it’s “hard” because we’re chasing the wrong path.

              This isn’t something I alone think. You seem to be under the impression I have a less than Wikipedia level understanding of this. I do not.

              • NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                No, it’s hard because the energy levels that we have to have to test things at the plank scale are much higher than anything we can achieve right now with our current level of technology. Plenty of theories make predictions about quantum gravity, string theory, M theory, lopp quantum gravity. There’s even a few out there theories that just try to modify newtonian gravity.

                • Clent@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  It’s “hard” because we didn’t find what we expected at the energy levels we targeted.

                  There is too much funding behind it now. No one can question the status quo and maintain funding.