A 5 year old child is very different from a 19 year old.
Some concepts (and some people) require “scaffolding.” That is, simple models that allow some rudimentary understanding, but belies the whole story.
I’d start with a trip to the kitchen sink or tub and play with very shallow water waves.
See how they bounce.
See how they go through each other but get bigger or smaller.
See how they make patterns.
As much or as little as you wish.
All of these experiences are “quantum”-like.
Does the child want more?
The only additional weirdness that needs to be added (later?) is that when this quantum “wave” hits something, it deposits its energy and momentum just like a particle would and all the rest of the wave everywhere else in the universe somehow disappears.
That’s the “spooky” part.
That spooky action at a distance.
How did the rest of the wave far, far away “know” that the energy had been deposited, and know to politely disappear. Instantly.
The clip above shows the quantum distribution of one quantum object thrown toward two slits.
Notice the pattern of five vertical red bars projected on the far screen. That’s the probability pattern for just one particle.
One.
When it hits, it only hits in one location.
If many quantum objects were thrown, their hits would produce the pattern below.
When just one particle hits in one location, its wave everywhere else “disappears.”
Instantly.
Einstein didn’t like that “instantly” idea. He called it spooky and spent the better part of the rest of his life trying to explain it.
To my knowledge, no one has … yet.
Maybe this child will see things in a new way and let us know.
No comments:
Post a Comment