1-7-06 Spooky Action at a Distance
There's a thing called "quantum entanglement", a condition or state of two or more atoms that apparently can be induced in the laboratory. This somehow aligns the polarity of electron spin. I don't claim to fully understand it, but if you want to read more about it...
http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1035&category=Science
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/cat_states.htm
Suffice to say that this is within the realm of ongoing scientific research, if you don't want to become more conversant with the technical work being done.
Once quantum entanglement has been induced, you have an alignment of the polarity of electron spin. At this point, the electron(s) are spinning in two directions at once, as explained by the uncertainty principle. But if you observe the spin of one of the "quantum entangled" atoms, it will then be going in one direction. At that exact point, the electron spin of the other atom will be going in the same direction when it's observed.
In other words, a single atom, upon observation of its electron spin, will have a 50% chance of going in one direction or the other, like flipping a coin. You can never predict which direction it will be going until you observe it. But if you induce quantum entanglement between two or more atoms, and you observe the spin of one, then you CAN predict that electron(s) in the other atom(s) will ALWAYS be going in that same direction. The change happens instantly.
They don't know WHY this has always proven to be true so far, but they not only know THAT it's true in every case that's been tested, they also know HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
So, what you've got going on in particle physics right now is this experimentation into what Einstein labelled, "Spooky action at a distance". And it really is spooky, isn't it?
However, it doesn't end there. It gets even spookier. This, however, is where experimentation has yet to be done. Quantum theory predicted the phenomena described above, which is now demonstrable and repeatable. But Quantum theory also predicts the following...
If you've got these atoms induced into a state of quantum entanglement, and then you bring one atom over to Australia and another one to Germany, and bring another one up to the Moon, and then you observe the electron spin of the one in Australia, a completely inexplicable thing happens. The electron spin of the atom in Germany and the electron spin of the atom on the Moon is INSTANTLY the same as the one you observed in Australia!
Einstein called it "Spooky action at a distance" because it's not only spooky, but it also violates his assumption regarding the speed of light, ie- that nothing in this universe can go faster. But Quantum theory predicts that this phenomenon does just that by a factor of not "warp one" or "warp nine", but "warp infinity". In other words, it doesn't take any measurable time at all for the cause point of observation in Australia to effect the change in Germany or on the moon.
What this means is that there is now an observable phenomenon in this universe, repeatable in the laboratory, that potentially destroys one of the most fundamental premises that our understanding of the universe relies upon. The speed of light is the constant figure "C" in the most famous equation of our civilization, "E = MC2". We also base our theory of the Big Bang upon the absoluteness of the speed of light.
If the predictions of Quantum Theory about "spooky action at a distance" prove out to yield phenomena that are repeatable and consistent, then our culture is in for some major renovations in science and philosophy. On the day that any demonstrable and repeatable phenomenon shows that a causal factor elicits an effect that's faster than the speed of light, those renovations are going to reach far and wide.
Those renovations have already begun, but so far the impact has only been felt within the cloistered laboratories and halls of academia. None of this has had any effect on the culture at large yet. Out here in the world of politics and religion and the workaday world, we're still operating under the premises of nineteenth century and early twentieth century scientific breakthroughs. Despite the development of Quantum Theory in the early part of the twentieth century, however, our technology has only come up to a point in the past decade or two wherein the theories can be addressed by actual experiment.
Want to take a ride?
Well I've got some news for you... if you thought the thrill ride of science and technology was a gut-buster in the twentieth century, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1035&category=Science
http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/cat_states.htm
Suffice to say that this is within the realm of ongoing scientific research, if you don't want to become more conversant with the technical work being done.
Once quantum entanglement has been induced, you have an alignment of the polarity of electron spin. At this point, the electron(s) are spinning in two directions at once, as explained by the uncertainty principle. But if you observe the spin of one of the "quantum entangled" atoms, it will then be going in one direction. At that exact point, the electron spin of the other atom will be going in the same direction when it's observed.
In other words, a single atom, upon observation of its electron spin, will have a 50% chance of going in one direction or the other, like flipping a coin. You can never predict which direction it will be going until you observe it. But if you induce quantum entanglement between two or more atoms, and you observe the spin of one, then you CAN predict that electron(s) in the other atom(s) will ALWAYS be going in that same direction. The change happens instantly.
They don't know WHY this has always proven to be true so far, but they not only know THAT it's true in every case that's been tested, they also know HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
So, what you've got going on in particle physics right now is this experimentation into what Einstein labelled, "Spooky action at a distance". And it really is spooky, isn't it?
However, it doesn't end there. It gets even spookier. This, however, is where experimentation has yet to be done. Quantum theory predicted the phenomena described above, which is now demonstrable and repeatable. But Quantum theory also predicts the following...
If you've got these atoms induced into a state of quantum entanglement, and then you bring one atom over to Australia and another one to Germany, and bring another one up to the Moon, and then you observe the electron spin of the one in Australia, a completely inexplicable thing happens. The electron spin of the atom in Germany and the electron spin of the atom on the Moon is INSTANTLY the same as the one you observed in Australia!
Einstein called it "Spooky action at a distance" because it's not only spooky, but it also violates his assumption regarding the speed of light, ie- that nothing in this universe can go faster. But Quantum theory predicts that this phenomenon does just that by a factor of not "warp one" or "warp nine", but "warp infinity". In other words, it doesn't take any measurable time at all for the cause point of observation in Australia to effect the change in Germany or on the moon.
What this means is that there is now an observable phenomenon in this universe, repeatable in the laboratory, that potentially destroys one of the most fundamental premises that our understanding of the universe relies upon. The speed of light is the constant figure "C" in the most famous equation of our civilization, "E = MC2". We also base our theory of the Big Bang upon the absoluteness of the speed of light.
If the predictions of Quantum Theory about "spooky action at a distance" prove out to yield phenomena that are repeatable and consistent, then our culture is in for some major renovations in science and philosophy. On the day that any demonstrable and repeatable phenomenon shows that a causal factor elicits an effect that's faster than the speed of light, those renovations are going to reach far and wide.
Those renovations have already begun, but so far the impact has only been felt within the cloistered laboratories and halls of academia. None of this has had any effect on the culture at large yet. Out here in the world of politics and religion and the workaday world, we're still operating under the premises of nineteenth century and early twentieth century scientific breakthroughs. Despite the development of Quantum Theory in the early part of the twentieth century, however, our technology has only come up to a point in the past decade or two wherein the theories can be addressed by actual experiment.
Want to take a ride?
Well I've got some news for you... if you thought the thrill ride of science and technology was a gut-buster in the twentieth century, you ain't seen nothin' yet!
posted by Jeff Barnard at 5:53 PM
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