Is It Possible to Find a Romney Voter in an Excited State?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the humorous application of quantum theory concepts to the political figure Mitt Romney, particularly focusing on the implications of observation and measurement in quantum mechanics as they relate to political opinions and behavior. The scope includes conceptual exploration and technical reasoning regarding quantum interpretations and their metaphorical application to political contexts.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference an article discussing the idea that observing Mitt Romney's opinions affects those opinions, likening it to quantum observation.
  • Others argue that the analogy misrepresents quantum entanglement and wavefunction collapse, suggesting it conflates different interpretations of quantum mechanics with political behavior.
  • A participant questions whether measuring Romney's stance on one issue affects his previous stances, introducing the concept of local hidden variables.
  • Another participant expresses a personal sentiment about the political situation, indicating a sense of frustration with the political landscape.
  • Some participants humorously speculate about the existence of Romney voters in an "excited state," suggesting that his political persona may inhibit genuine human connection.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the application of quantum mechanics to political behavior, with no consensus reached on the validity of the analogies or interpretations presented.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the applicability of quantum mechanics to political behavior, and the discussion includes various interpretations of quantum concepts that may not align with established scientific definitions.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the intersection of science and politics, particularly those with a sense of humor about the application of scientific concepts to political discourse.

Oerg
Messages
350
Reaction score
0
Physics news on Phys.org
Pretty good. Thanks for posting.
 
Oerg said:
From the article,
Entanglement. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a proton, neutron or Mormon: the act of observing cannot be separated from the outcome of the observation. By asking Mitt Romney how he feels about an issue, you unavoidably affect how he feels about it. More precisely, Mitt Romney will feel every possible way about an issue until the moment he is asked about it, at which point the many feelings decohere into the single answer most likely to please the asker.​
That's not entanglement! That's just a bad mishmash of the Romney wavefunction collapse interpretation and the multiple Romneys interpretation of the Romney candidacy. Entanglement would involve showing that the Etch-a-sketch Politics of Romney (EPR) paradox leads to Romney giving the single answer most likely to please to asker before Romney knows the asker's political leanings.
 
D H said:
From the article,
Entanglement. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a proton, neutron or Mormon: the act of observing cannot be separated from the outcome of the observation. By asking Mitt Romney how he feels about an issue, you unavoidably affect how he feels about it. More precisely, Mitt Romney will feel every possible way about an issue until the moment he is asked about it, at which point the many feelings decohere into the single answer most likely to please the asker.​
That's not entanglement! That's just a bad mishmash of the Romney wavefunction collapse interpretation and the multiple Romneys interpretation of the Romney candidacy. Entanglement would involve showing that the Etch-a-sketch Politics of Romney (EPR) paradox leads to Romney giving the single answer most likely to please to asker before Romney knows the asker's political leanings.
Well, the statement "the act of observing cannot be separated from the outcome of the observation" seems to be a statement about contextuality, which is a key feature of entanglement. It would be like Romney choosing his position based on what the questioner asked Newt Gingrich.
 
so if you measure his spin on a particular issue does it obliterate his previous spin of a different issue?

can local hidden voters account for this?
 
Last edited:
BWV said:
so if you measure his spin on a particular issue does it obliterates his previous spin of a different issue?

can local hidden voters account for this?

I think you are confusing hidden voters with Romney's hidden variables. Between measurements (news conferences) does his POSITION on an issue even exist or is it probabilistic only?

PS I find this whole thread depressing since I am probably going to hold my nose and vote for this turd in November.
 
skippy1729 said:
I think you are confusing hidden voters with Romney's hidden variables.
Speaking of hidden voters, is it possible to find a Romney voter in an excited state?
 
lugita15 said:
Speaking of hidden voters, is it possible to find a Romney voter in an excited state?

Thanks, Lugita, I needed a good laugh today!
 
  • #10
lugita15 said:
Speaking of hidden voters, is it possible to find a Romney voter in an excited state?

No, there is a damping effect caused by his inability to come across as an actual human, and this prevents excitation.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
7K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K