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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 225 - 11/11/2009
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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, LLC - dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and the public understanding of science through online and other media. The first episode of the SGU podcast went online on May 4th, 2005. It soon became a popular science/skeptical podcast, and remains one of the most popular science podcasts on iTunes.
SGU Podcasting Awards: SGU on XM: You can listen to the SGU on America's Talk XM 166 every Saturday night from 8-9pm Eastern.
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Podcast
225
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November 11, 2009
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News Items: Psychic Finds Skeleton, Dystonia Flu Shot Follow Up, More LRO Images, Paying for Prayer
Your Questions and E-mails: Wave Particle Duality
JREF Announcements
Special Report from TAM London with Simon Singh, Jon Ronson, and Adam Savage
Science or Fiction
Who's That Noisy
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Segment: News Items
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Segment: Questions and E-mails
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Question # 1 - Wave Particle Duality
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Great show guys, LOVE IT! I have finally caught up after 6 months and am now very disapointed to have to wait for it once a week.
I have been studying quantum physics for a bit now and was hoping that Bob could give his explanation of The Uncertainty Principle and Wave/Particle duality.
My understanding so far is:
The amplitude of a wave defines a particle's position.
The wavelength defines its momentum.
We can not know both of the things at the same time. Only one or the other. This is NOT an artifact of the inaccuracies of our tools for measuring, but a fundamental property of subatomic particles.
My first question is...
Is the drawing of a wave (on paper) just a 2D representation of a more abstract idea of what a wave really is? or can we literaly imagine a particle flying through space oscillating up and down along it's amplitude.(quantum oscillation?)
My second qeustion is how this relates to Photon slit experiments...
Does the photon display the properties of a wave as it is flying towards the slit, and then display the properties of a particle when it hits the wall? IS this why we cannot predict where the photon will land? Because it is displaying the characteristics of a wave and therefore exist anywhere within the oscillating amplitude, even if all places at one?
Am I trying to visualize something that cannot be visualized? (YES)
If you please, I would like to hear Bob and the SGU's understanding of Wave/Particle duality, The Uncertainty Principle, and Photon slit experiments.
Thanks!
Dan Kress
Rochester, NY
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Segment: JREF Announcements
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JREF Announcements
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With Bart Farkus, who is heading the JREF's fundraising initiatives.
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Segment: Special Report
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By Rebecca From TAM London
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Including interviews with Simon Singh, Jon Ronson, and Adam Savage
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Segment: Science or Fiction [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
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Segment: Who's That Noisy
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Whos That Noisy
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Answer to last week - Madeleine Duncan Brown
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Segment: Quote of the Week
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Quote of the Week
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“I believe that through its rational evaluation of truth and indifference to personal belief, science transcends religious and political divisions and so does bind us into a greater, more resilient whole.”
—Brian Greene
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