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Author Topic:   quantum evolution
Son Goku
Inactive Member


Message 6 of 11 (294117)
03-10-2006 5:54 PM


I would find it very unlikely.
The self-energy of such molecules is more than sufficient to destroy any meaningful superposition.
Although Buckminsterfullerene can be shown to have an interference pattern, it would be difficult to have it exhibit cat states* or any other truly quantum mechanical features.
However my main objection is that superposition would be nigh on impossible to achieve for actual chemical configurations. It's only observed for Energy, spin, position, e.t.c. of particles. Not chemical configurations of entire molecules.
The other idea that is subtly implied in the article is that collapse to a definite state can be willed or chosen, which is certainly not the case.
The collapse is totally random, that’s why we have probabilities in quantum mechanics.
*A Cat state is when a particle is in a state which is a superposition of two other states that would be diametric opposites classically.

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 Message 8 by cavediver, posted 03-11-2006 5:10 AM Son Goku has replied

  
Son Goku
Inactive Member


Message 9 of 11 (294469)
03-12-2006 10:18 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by cavediver
03-11-2006 5:10 AM


A guesstimate.
I finding this more and more unlikely, essentially it would require an inverse Quantum Zeno Effect.
A fellow of the Cavendish Laboratory, Matthew Donald, has a paper discussing the many flaws in this proposal, including the requirement of a rather artificial Hamiltonian.
Donald himself is a proponent of the many-minds interpretation of QM, so he is definitely open to "thinking outside the box" when it comes to Quantum Mechanics, so the standard claim of orthodoxy doesn't apply.
Donald's Paper.

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