A Thwid, gá dom a fhios conas a rá "cait" as Gaeilge

[Nephew Twiddleton]

It's like kutch, kutch, kutch kutch kutch
back in the day it's like kutch kutch kutch
I know what it takes to make things worse
And I know what it takes to put a fomorian in a hearse

that's awesome!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'M ON THERIAC!

That was DELIGHTFULLY nerdy.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

So, just because why not, I think this is the new science thread.

And this is some fucking trippy science right here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141028214129.htm

In quantum mechanics, particles do not have a distinct position in space. Instead, they exist as a wave function, a probability distribution that includes all the possible locations where a particle might be found. Maris and his colleagues are suggesting that parts of that distribution can be separated and cordoned off from each other.

So, my thought on this is that it really doesn't matter how small the probability subsegment is, it's still technically infinite.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I'M ON THERIAC!

I might have to pass this along to my lab partner, who's pretty into botany.

[LMNO]

So, just because why not, I think this is the new science thread.

And this is some fucking trippy science right here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141028214129.htm

In quantum mechanics, particles do not have a distinct position in space. Instead, they exist as a wave function, a probability distribution that includes all the possible locations where a particle might be found. Maris and his colleagues are suggesting that parts of that distribution can be separated and cordoned off from each other.

So, my thought on this is that it really doesn't matter how small the probability subsegment is, it's still technically infinite.

Interesting.  It's sort of like gaming the system -- increasing the probability the electron will "be" in a certain "place"*.  I'm not so sure about the measurement implications they raise, but it is really cool.








*In quotes because those words do not accurately describe what's happening.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

So, just because why not, I think this is the new science thread.

And this is some fucking trippy science right here:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141028214129.htm

In quantum mechanics, particles do not have a distinct position in space. Instead, they exist as a wave function, a probability distribution that includes all the possible locations where a particle might be found. Maris and his colleagues are suggesting that parts of that distribution can be separated and cordoned off from each other.

So, my thought on this is that it really doesn't matter how small the probability subsegment is, it's still technically infinite.

Interesting.  It's sort of like gaming the system -- increasing the probability the electron will "be" in a certain "place"*.  I'm not so sure about the measurement implications they raise, but it is really cool.








*In quotes because those words do not accurately describe what's happening.

Hmmm I think that "within certain parameters" is probably a better description. But even so, because the electron can be at infinite locations within those narrowed parameters, it is not actually narrowing the probability of finding the electron at any one discrete location. If that makes sense. In other words, smaller parameters do not have fewer discrete locational possibilities, therefore the electron is free to carry on in its probabilistic manner without giving any fucks about the parameters being smaller, much as an electron on hydrogen is no less probabalistic than a valence electron on iodine.

[LMNO]

Ah! I see what you're saying!

It's like the weird math around "infinity prime", "infinity / 2", "infinity squared", etc.

You can play fascinating games with it, but if you're dealing with an electron probability distribution, it still ends up with the same equation.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Ah! I see what you're saying!

It's like the weird math around "infinity prime", "infinity / 2", "infinity squared", etc.

You can play fascinating games with it, but if you're dealing with an electron probability distribution, it still ends up with the same equation.

Yeah exactly.

It's really interesting though, and I'm curious where they go with it.

[LMNO]

I hope it opens things up, but I fear it's just another case of adding a zero to the equation.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I hope it opens things up, but I fear it's just another case of adding a zero to the equation.

I'm not sure how it would do even that; can you explain the mechanism?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I mean, infinity divided by any number is still infinity, so it seems like mathematically nothing changes except the parameters in which infinity is contained. It's sort of like an asymptote; the line can get closer to the asymptote forever without ever reaching zero. So the mathematical probability wouldn't change at all; only the quadrant in which you would find that probability.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Peedee:

The only place on Earth where an Englishwoman can ask an American how to say "cats" in Irish and have it turn into a conversation about physics.

Is fearr liom.   

[Reginald Ret]

I mean, infinity divided by any number is still infinity, so it seems like mathematically nothing changes except the parameters in which infinity is contained. It's sort of like an asymptote; the line can get closer to the asymptote forever without ever reaching zero. So the mathematical probability wouldn't change at all; only the quadrant in which you would find that probability.

Huh, I was thinking more of the potential chemical applications.
This may open up all new electron configurations in atoms, allowing currently impossible molecules to be created.
I'm dubious about finding stable configurations though, that may just be impossible.



(Not really, sadly)

[Doktor Howl]

I mean, infinity divided by any number is still infinity,

L'Hospital begs to differ.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I mean, infinity divided by any number is still infinity, so it seems like mathematically nothing changes except the parameters in which infinity is contained. It's sort of like an asymptote; the line can get closer to the asymptote forever without ever reaching zero. So the mathematical probability wouldn't change at all; only the quadrant in which you would find that probability.

Huh, I was thinking more of the potential chemical applications.
This may open up all new electron configurations in atoms, allowing currently impossible molecules to be created.
I'm dubious about finding stable configurations though, that may just be impossible.



(Not really, sadly)

I don't understand how, and though while granted I haven't taken all that much chemistry, I do think I've taken enough to have a decent grasp on fundamental electron behavior. Can you explain how you think that might work?