11 November 2005

Schrödinger’s cat outruns the police

Fabric of the Cosmos

I always suspected that my inchoate quest to understand quantum physics would pay dividends. When the police officer testifies at my next speeding ticket trial, I would repeatedly demand if he is sure, precisely, of where I was at the moment the offense occurred. When he finally convinces me, the judge, and all present, that he recalls my position with certainty, I'd have my Matlock moment. "Aha!" I would exclaim, explaining that he cannot, therefore, possibly know my speed, handing the Bailiff a well-worn copy of Heisenberg's article.

After reading Brian Green's Fabric of the Cosmos, I've discovered that my premise was correct, but not likely at the piddling speeds my car can attain.

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