The discussion centers on the nature of quantum randomness and its comparison to classical randomness, such as coin tossing. Participants highlight that while classical randomness can be predicted with complete knowledge of initial conditions, quantum randomness, as described by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (HUP), involves inherent unpredictability. The conversation references the measurement problem in quantum mechanics, where outcomes emerge from a superposition of states, and suggests further exploration of concepts like Schrödinger's Cat and superposition to understand these differences better.
PREREQUISITESStudents of physics, quantum mechanics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the philosophical implications of randomness in quantum theory.
By definition random events are unpredictable.
Consider the tossing of a coin. It is considered a random event. But if you could know the exact initial position of the coin in the exact moment of the tossing, the forces applied on it, the air resistance, air speed and direction, gravity force, etc then you could predict the result ( head or tail ).
Physicists use to say the quantum phenomena are random. But are they really random or like in the coin example, you could determine the outcome if you could know all the factors that intervene in a quantum event ?
Bladibla said:I did not ask this query, but i found it quite interesting. (foreign wind gets credit for this..)
What would be your replies to this?
For people in the UK, This question was raised on the event of watching the doc series 'Horizon'
ZapperZ said:Note that what you are asking is NOT "uncertainty", a word in which, in QM, automatically means the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (HUP). What you are asking is the apparent "measurement problem" of QM in which a definite outcome appears out of a superposition of many different outcomes.
You may want to do a search on PF on "Schrödinger Cat", "superposition", etc. I know for a fact that I have written several responses on why QM's "randomness" is NOT the same as a coin-tossing randomness.
Zz.