Whoa.  Dude. Trip Out!

Quantum physics is so cool.  Even though I don't understand anything about it.

Photo from RecoverySoul

I came across this article "When Time Flows Backwards," by Michael Byrne at Motherboard.  "New experiments conducted at Washington University St. Louis offer a further demonstration of one of the quantum world's more difficult implications: time symmetry"

It concerns a fascinating aspect of Quantum science; that the simple act of observing a particle at the Quantum level may cause it to react differently than if we were not observing it.  In fact, it seems, it will change the way it is acting even before we observe it, as though somehow its future self told its present self, "hey, you're going to be observed."

Frankly, I still don't know any more about Quantum physics than I did before reading the article.  However, it is still so cool.  Especially, with this article, because of the way its written.  Simply insert a few words at random, like "Whoa," "Trippy," "Dude" within the text and it sounds like half the conversations I had back in my high school days when I'd get with friends and smoke a little weed.

Let me demonstrate for you - Dude, check out this gnarly quote, man:

We are doomed to time because of organization, man. Think about it. We have pasts, right? Which are just spaces of non-possibility. Dig it? The past for us is a fixed guideway, a steady elimination of options culminating in this here—and this now. Whoa, dude are you following me? And this forward-universe seems like a reasonable thing, yeah? Although, you-know, kinda anxiety-inducing.

Try imagining this trippy Grand Central Terminal of, like, everything, right? Got it? We've stood at the departures board and made a selection, boarded a train, (are you following me?) and here we are on an express to Newbury (or wherever). We've left every other train and destination behind, see? And those other trains have all left too, and you aren't on any of them, man. Not one of em! Like, their destinations are unavailable. Heavy, right?

Why should it be so, man? Why? Why? Well, causality for one. See dude, we're strung along in a generally forward direction by things occurring that cause other things to happen or cause other things to be much more likely to happen. And they're just hapening and happening and - where was I? I lost my train of thought. Oh yeah, it would seem that the alternative is for nothing to ever happen at all, man. Nothing! Leaving us to just stand there staring at the departures board, never choosing, but never really happening either... Dude... Pass that joint.

Seriously, though, read the article.