A very odd dream about quantum mechanics

[chickenfeet]

For the last couple of nights I've been dreaming about the Grand Unified Field Theory (aka The Theory of Everything). This is odd, even for me. Anyway, my sleeping brain has decided that the GUFT is impossible. Relativity and QM will never be reconciled. When I first dreamed this I thought it was a bit far fetched. Even my sleeping brain was perplexed. But last night, sleeping brain worked out why. Matter only behaves in a quantum mechanical way when it is being observed. If one doesn't peek it behaves like an impeccably proper Einsteinian. So when an observer observes activity at the quantum level, not only does the act of observation cause a resolution of quantum states but it is the observation that calls into being the whole phenomenon. My brain is a very strange place.

Comments

[mizalaina.livejournal.com]

Check out M-theory or the derivative stuff about branes. They reconcile QM and relativity quite nicely: warped spacetime still exists, the hierarchy problem is solved, and QM effects don't go away but fit well.

[mizalaina.livejournal.com]

BTW, I can recommend Lisa Randall's book Warped Passages (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/item.asp?Item=978006053108&Catalog=Books&Ntt=warped+passages&N=35&Lang=en&Section=books&zxac=1) for an accessible and relatively current introduction to brane theories. The first part of the book is slow going but it really works in the later chapters.

[violetsaunders.livejournal.com]

This is the kind of stuff my son is into and I don't understand! I never studied any science at school - which occasionally makes me angry. I went to a v. strange school which did not seem to think science was for girls - and our general science teacher was more than a little deranged and clearly hated children (then had to leave because he had an affair with one of the older girls - whoops - so we had no teacher at all for a while). Hence I went into the Humanities. My son has a physics/philosophy blog somewhere - but it is a secret to his mum! I will definitely recommend Randall's book to him - THANKS!

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

I understand it extremely poorly. Although I read mathematics I did comparatively little theoretical physics, largely because I tended to focus on probability theory related areas. Plus it's nearly 30 years since I graduated and rather a lot has happened in the field since then.

My son is planning to read physics when he goes to uni in a couple of years so maybe I can catch up then.

[violetsaunders.livejournal.com]

they - the sons - must be about the same age then. I think mine is more inclined to Philosophy as a possible University subject - but he just did very well in a Physics module so that might change ...

[pyroclasticgrub.livejournal.com]

Whenever I think of UFT, I think of the MC Hawking tune "UFT for the MC"

"I want a new...unified field...theory. It's the only one for me. Not neutonian gravity."

It's beauty.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I am not sure if trying to unify relativity and quantum mechanic or dreaming about it is the strangest.

Whenever I read a book about relativity, I think I understand; until I mention this to someone else, and they ask me to explain it to them!