baudrunner's space: If quantum reality can be strange then so can I
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Tuesday, January 22, 2008

If quantum reality can be strange then so can I

Quantum entanglement has me thinking on the nature of "quantum unreality" -- specifically, the phenomenon whereby distance between objects (in physics, remember that the terms object and particle are interchangeable) becomes arbitrary, and the fact that time is not a factor in the adoption of same-states by particles any distance apart in the process known as entanglement.

Here is my idea. In confirming the premise that an infinite amount of information can be stored on an electron, Philip Bucksbaum has unwittingly revealed an interesting side note as a logical extrapolation from his experiments and that is that there are an infinite number of possible states in terms of the position, orientation, and momentum etc. of a particle. Furthermore there is a probability, the degree of which is indeterminable, that any two particles can assume the same state regardless of their respective place in the Universe in a random event but that this probability is also very low so as to be negligible considering the potential of the infinite. This must be so in order for the structural integrity of the Universe to be maintained, as will be discussed shortly. That this entangled state can be coerced by experimentation is already established. What concerns us is how this is effected instantaneously over potentially vast distances.

Think of a long wooden beam. Nudging the beam forward moves the leading edge forward at the same time. Think of a beam a four light years' distance long. All practicalities notwithstanding, nudging the beam forward will move the leading edge of the beam forward at the same time. If we had such a device we could communicate instantaneously to the inhabitants of a world around Alpha Centauri, if there is one, by repeatedly moving the beam back and forth -- sending one's and zero's in this way. Now, dismiss the idea of the beam from your mind, it has only served as an introduction to the idea that there must be a kind of quantum rule based structural scaffolding of sorts keeping the integrity of the Universe intact. The dynamics of this structure is such that makes its definition indeterminate, in accordance with Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. However, given the ability to engage two objects in a quantum entanglement scenario we can create the effect of locking the structural component, that is - to temporarily reveal and maintain the definition of a dimension of the structure temporarily such that the beam analogy holds true so that what happens to an object here happens at exactly the same time to an object potentially light years away. This suggests that we are able to exert a modicum of control over the structural definition of space, in effect fixing a one-dimensional vector of its three-dimensional "matrix" positionally, even if only temporarily.

The Universe is not made up of a matrix of two-by-fours of course but scientists agree that space is indeed as much a creation as the matter which occupies it and therefore it must be made of something. Perhaps the dynamics of all those virtual particles popping into and out of existence is not random at all since they must serve to define the volumetrics of the space wherein our reality exists. Also perhaps, the structural rigidity of the quantum realm bears no resemblance to our perceptual concept of what constitutes a rigid structure. One thing is for sure, we do not see the same thing looking up at an electron from the surface of an atom's nucleus as we do looking down at it from our perspective within this macrocosm. And if we were big enough to hold the Universe in the palm of our hand, the creation of a star would be as a spark whereas from our point of view that Hubble photograph of the Horsehead Nebula will look pretty much the same to us a couple of hundred years from now. These are the things to consider when analysing what goes on at the quantum scale. That is the sub-ordinate cosm of all existence.

An attempt to establish a frame of reference at the level of the quantum scale with respect to our macro reality might therefore prove to be futile but that should not prevent the application of those possibilities realized from experimentation and investigation of that quantum unreality. Who cares how it works so long as it does? Well, Physicist Anton Zeilinger does, sort of. He admits he's "just having fun", but coming up with the answer to the riddle of quantum unreality would represent a welcome epipheny to be sure. Zeilinger's work represents the cutting edge of quantum entanglement experimentation and no doubt his work will some day lead to a practical method of instantaneous communication between ground control and the future Mars colony. Information first, then people.

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