What the bleep do we know? - serious or not?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the documentary "What the bleep do we know?" and its credibility, particularly in relation to the presentation of quantum mechanics concepts such as the double-slit experiment. Participants explore whether the documentary mixes legitimate scientific ideas with new age beliefs and question the accuracy of the scientific claims made within it.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the trustworthiness of the documentary, suggesting it may contain a mix of popular science and new age propaganda.
  • There is a query regarding the accuracy of the documentary's presentation of the double-slit experiment with electrons.
  • One participant affirms that the documentary's presentation of the double-slit experiment is correct but notes that some details may be overly simplified.
  • Participants discuss the implications of observation on the behavior of electrons, specifically whether observing an electron affects the interference pattern produced in the double-slit experiment.
  • Some participants express confusion about the phenomenon, particularly how an electron "knows" it is being observed.
  • Another participant asserts that the documentary contains significant misinformation and has been banned from discussion in the forum.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the credibility of the documentary, with some defending its scientific claims while others strongly criticize it as misleading. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall trustworthiness of the documentary and the interpretations of quantum mechanics presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight nuances in the interpretation of quantum mechanics, particularly regarding the concept of observation and its effects on electron behavior. There are references to specific scientific literature that may provide additional context but are not universally accepted as definitive explanations.

kasse
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"What the bleep do we know?" - serious or not?

I just saw the documantary "What the bleep do we know?", and wonder if what is being said there is trustworthy, or just some popular science ******** mixed with new age propaganda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrKvzPXULME&feature=related
 
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OK, I'll read through some threads. Just one quick question: Is this a correct presentation of the double split experiment with electrons?

 
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kasse said:
OK, I'll read through some threads. Just one quick question: Is this a correct presentation of the double split experiment with electrons?



Yes, it is, although some details are perhaps overly cartoonized. If you'd like to study it, Feynman's presentation in his Lectures on Physics (vol. 3) is classic. These guys also do a nice presentation that is more introductory:
http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Harrison/DoubleSlit/DoubleSlit.html
http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/QM.html
 
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So the electron actually DOES exist at two different places at the same time, but only when it's it's not being observed??

This is crazy, lol. If we observe each electron, will we then get a normal pattern instead of an interference pattern?

Thanks for a great link, btw
 


kasse said:
So the electron actually DOES exist at two different places at the same time, but only when it's it's not being observed??

This is crazy, lol. If we observe each electron, will we then get a normal pattern instead of an interference pattern?

Thanks for a great link, btw

Yes, that's it. Of course, there are nuances about what "exists" means. :smile: Sometimes it is explained that observing the path "kicked" the electron, which is why there is no interference pattern. But if you observe the path without "kicking" the electron, you still destroy the interference pattern.

Origin of quantum-mechanical complementarity probed by a `which-way' experiment in an atom interferometer
S. Dürr, T. Nonn, and G. Rempe
http://www.mpq.mpg.de/qdynamics/members/S.Duerr.html

After getting the path information and destroying the inteference pattern, you can even "erase" your knowledge of which path it took, and recover the interference pattern.

Quantum Erasure: Quantum Interference Revisited
Stephen P. Walborn, Marcelo O. Terra Cunha, Sebastião Pádua, Carlos H. Monken
http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0503073
[This is an introductory article.]

A double-slit quantum eraser
S. P. Walborn, M. O. Terra Cunha, S. Padua, C. H. Monken
http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0106078
 
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Are there anyone who actually understands this phenomenon? How the heck does the electron know that it's being observed?
 


The movie is so full of crackpot misinformation that it is on our banned list, which is why this thread was locked earlier.
 

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