Quantum Physics

The analogies with the skaters are ok, but don't really provide a more satisfying explanation than what's already been given. Particles are exchanged and somehow they attract or repel. How does it work?

Edit: Ignore, you've pre-empted me and provided an answer above!
 
Argh! I prepare a small wall of text about "how it works" and you make that edit! Well, I'll leave it by saying this:

The way I see it is that it all falls out of the maths, which makes it much easier to accept than by saying that the maths describes some physical process. That kind of thinking just gives you turtles all the way down.

For most people that study science the most annoying thing imaginable is being told that it "just falls out of the maths" or "it just is". It's often seen as a shrugging of the shoulders and giving up (I don't, but then I studied theoretical physics and am not very practically minded). On the way down to this kind of science, all the maths one level below has described something, it's had some grounding in something that you can touch, basically. But here, the maths below is Group Theory, which is as abstract as anything can be.
 
Yes I was going to comment myself on theory derived from previous theory (i.e. worked from the maths), that needs to be proved by observation, vs theory derived from observations themselves. I find either way acceptable, as they are just starting at opposite ends to provide the same thing - a model or description for the real world. I doubt either is more reliable than the other, as maths is also prone to mistakes and assumptions have to be made to begin with (like for instance, what we have done so far is correct).
 
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Margaret said:
When the LHC turns on basically the OcUK headquarters will start operating at full capacity, swallowing the world with the exception of Spie.

Edit: badbob will be present to comment on how poor the sound quality of the world ending was though.
Click to expand...

The end of the world looks better if you have a a PhysX card.
 
I suggest watching this, it really got my brain going and it's great for explaining Quantum physics in action (in laymans terms).


Watch it through, discuss?
 
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