quantum mechanics: what does this mean?

[MikeWaters]

Nature article.

http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/11/4/14

[BigFatMeanie]

Man, it's been a long time since I took quantum physics and I certainly don't remember covering that stuff. About the only thing I remember from my quantum class was "The Ultraviolet Catastrophe".

[Archaea]

Bell's inequality is not true? Wow, I guess I'm out of date.

[Solon]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

Man, it's been a long time since I took quantum physics and I certainly don't remember covering that stuff. About the only thing I remember from my quantum class was "The Ultraviolet Catastrophe".

The Ultraviolet Catastrophe sounds like a good title for a made-for-tv movie.

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by Solon

The Ultraviolet Catastrophe sounds like a good title for a made-for-tv movie.

Or an alternative rock band.

[BigFatMeanie]

From Memory: the Ultraviolet Catastrophe was when scientists first noticed that electromagnetic waves in the ultraviolet frequency didn't completely adhere to the classic laws of physics - it was basically the birth of quantum physics.

Now, I'll fact check myself with Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_catastrophe

Hmm, the old gray matter may not be as efficient as it used to but Wikipedia has verified that it still works reasonably well. Quantum was interesting right up to point in class where we learned about the ultraviolet catastrophe (the 3rd day of class). When we started talking about how quantum values corresponded to the eigenvalues of linear operators then I mentally checked out. I dropped the class about a week after that. I never was any good at linear algebra - just too abstract for me. Differential equations always seemed easier to me than linear algebra. Go figure.

[Solon]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

From Memory: the Ultraviolet Catastrophe was when scientists first noticed that electromagnetic waves in the ultraviolet frequency didn't completely adhere to the classic laws of physics - it was basically the birth of quantum physics.

In the threadjacking spirit, I'm reminded of the artist Ultra Violet. I knew this woman really well while I was an LDS missionary in southern France. She was baptized in the 1980s. Weird, but unbelievably cool and really talented (IMO). Plus, she bagged Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. I've got to hand it to her.

http://www.audart.com/warhol/ultraviolet.htm

[Archaea]

Linear algebra?

Is that the vector stuff such as every vector has a basis, a matrix is invertible IFF its determinant is nonzero, a matrix is invertible IFF the linear map represented by the matrix is isomorhpic?

That stuff? That was 24 years ago. Yikes.

[BigFatMeanie]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Linear algebra?

Is that the vector stuff such as every vector has a basis, a matrix is invertible IFF its determinant is nonzero, a matrix is invertible IFF the linear map represented by the matrix is isomorhpic?

That stuff? That was 24 years ago. Yikes.

Yup - that's the stuff. It's got a language all its own. I once took a linear algebra final and couldn't even understand what the question was asking - let alone attempt to answer it correctly. The first question said something like this:

"Take the orthogonal projection of a 6-space vector and write a transformation to a 3-space vector. Is the transformation idempotent? Calculate the eigenvalues of the orthogonal subspace U and describe the corresponding eigenspace"

My brain nearly exploded just reading it. I thought to myself: "screw it - I don't want to be a graphics programmer after all". I got up, handed in an empty test to the testing center, and took an F in course.

I suppose it would have helped if I had gone to class more than twice a semester. Linear algebra was the only subject where I've couldn't completely fake and B.S. my way to at least a "C" grade without ever attending class.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BigFatMeanie

Yup - that's the stuff. It's got a language all its own. I once took a linear algebra final and couldn't even understand what the question was asking - let alone attempt to answer it correctly. The first question said something like this:

"Take the orthogonal projection of a 6-space vector and write a transformation to a 3-space vector. Is the transformation idempotent? Calculate the eigenvalues of the orthogonal subspace U and describe the corresponding eigenspace"

My brain nearly exploded just reading it. I thought to myself: "screw it - I don't want to be a graphics programmer after all". I got up, handed in an empty test to the testing center, and took an F in course.

I suppose it would have helped if I had gone to class more than twice a semester. Linear algebra was the only subject where I've couldn't completely fake and B.S. my way to at least a "C" grade without ever attending class.

I did the same with differential equations attended once and did none too well my freshman year. Coming back after the mish, I had some makeup work to do.