It seems indeed that these new agers have an universal mind (I doubt they have conscience at all). Isn’t that thing quite the same than what the dudes from “The Secret” and “What the bleep you know?” proclaimed?
Reil; From my limited education in quantum mechanics (which consists primarily of seemingly-credible internet sources), “observation” refers to certain types of interactions, especially those which involve the scaling up of data to be meaningful in the macroscale world.
I personally figure that any to objects, even quantum particles, that come close enough to justify being considered as point masses (rather than fields), can be said to be observing one another. Most experiments demonstrating the wave-properties of small particles (that I know of) allow those particles to travel long distances or go for long stretches of time in relative solitude. If a real physicist would like to correct me, by all means, do so. I am but a humble biochem student.
@Joe Z. That explaination does sound right. Although I’m no expert either. Just someone who cracked open a book or two and tried to make sense of it. More than Deepak has ever done (or probably cares too).
Once you go smaller than the microtubule the system breakds down. You’re not talking about consciousness anymore. Just because our brain is made of synapses, neurons, microtubles and then atoms, neutrons, protons and electrons, it needs the sum of its parts to function as consciousness. The only thing you can apply to quantum mechanics is the subatomic particles, at which case you’re not talking about consciousness anymore.
I have been avidly devouring your archives for a couple of days now, and I absolutely love your comic. I particularly love this one. This one is going on my blog. Cheers, and keep up the excellent work!
November 19th, 2010 at 7:45 am
You know, it’s never been adequately explained to me what counts as observing, and how ‘observing’ a state isn’t itself a magical handwaving.
November 19th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
It seems indeed that these new agers have an universal mind (I doubt they have conscience at all). Isn’t that thing quite the same than what the dudes from “The Secret” and “What the bleep you know?” proclaimed?
November 20th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
[...] Ayer se pusieron un
November 20th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
FAIL. Don’t bother suiting New Age beliefs to suit quantum mechanics. It won’t work.
November 20th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Why is “entrance” spelt “enterance” by the way?
November 20th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Reil; From my limited education in quantum mechanics (which consists primarily of seemingly-credible internet sources), “observation” refers to certain types of interactions, especially those which involve the scaling up of data to be meaningful in the macroscale world.
I personally figure that any to objects, even quantum particles, that come close enough to justify being considered as point masses (rather than fields), can be said to be observing one another. Most experiments demonstrating the wave-properties of small particles (that I know of) allow those particles to travel long distances or go for long stretches of time in relative solitude. If a real physicist would like to correct me, by all means, do so. I am but a humble biochem student.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
@Tianlinzhang. Thanks I’ve fixed it.
@Joe Z. That explaination does sound right. Although I’m no expert either. Just someone who cracked open a book or two and tried to make sense of it. More than Deepak has ever done (or probably cares too).
November 28th, 2010 at 12:38 am
why can’t there be something smaller inside the microtubules?
November 28th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Once you go smaller than the microtubule the system breakds down. You’re not talking about consciousness anymore. Just because our brain is made of synapses, neurons, microtubles and then atoms, neutrons, protons and electrons, it needs the sum of its parts to function as consciousness. The only thing you can apply to quantum mechanics is the subatomic particles, at which case you’re not talking about consciousness anymore.
November 30th, 2010 at 3:42 am
I have been avidly devouring your archives for a couple of days now, and I absolutely love your comic. I particularly love this one. This one is going on my blog. Cheers, and keep up the excellent work!