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quantum mechanics (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world

Playing the lotery is a good analogy to the Schroedinger cat experiment. That is, as long as you don't check the numbers

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[-] Wolf314159@startrek.website 17 points 2 months ago

This is a gross misinterpretation of the Schrödinger's cat thought experiment and how the lottery actually works. That said, this is genuinely a shower thought because it's logic evaporates as quickly as you dry off and put your thinking pants on.

[-] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 2 months ago

I suffered from the wrong interpretation myself for a long time, and I think it's worth a brief explanation as to why it is wrong. It's clear why so many people misunderstand it, and I'm incapable of providing a concise, correct explanation to other people myself. But I like to see other people try, and hope one day to come across an elegant explanation that I can plagiarize.

[-] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

Well pardon me sir, my scientific background is entirely made of yt science videos for middle-schoolers!

Except that Schrödinger was trying to exemplify how impractical the Copenhagen interpretation was; that trying to apply quantum properties to systems larger than atoms would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

[-] spittingimage@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Schrödinger was responsible for so much good work in science, but all we remember him for is his cruelty to animals. :(

[-] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 3 points 2 months ago
[-] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 months ago

Well you have both won and not won the lotery as long as you don't check the results = measure the results of the experiment

[-] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 2 points 2 months ago

Hm. I suppose you could see it like that philosophically.

I'd say it more like, you have not won yet until you check and see you've won, but I guess that train of thought works, as well.

this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2024
15 points (67.4% liked)

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