Public Talk: Space, Time, and Quantum Mechanics

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claire.lee

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The Origins Centre invites you to a lecture entitled Space, Time and Quantum Mechanics by Prof. Robert De Mello Koch.

Prof. De Mello Koch holds a South African Research Chair in Fundamental Physics and String Theory. He is a member of the Center for Theoretical Physics, Wits University and of the National Institute of Theoretical Physics. His research interests include string theory and the gauge theory/gravity correspondence.

RSVP by Wednesday, 4 March 2009 to [email protected] or (011) 717-4700. Entrance fee is R25 per adult and R20 per student.

Date: Thursday, 5 March 2009

Time: 18:30

Venue: Origins Centre, Wits University
 
How technical will this talk be? Us commen folk might be baffled not by the concepts and ideas but simply the terminology and maths.
 
Geriatrix said:
How technical will this talk be? Us commen folk might be baffled not by the concepts and ideas but simply the terminology and maths.
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Well, it's a public talk, so it won't be very technical. Robert De Mello Koch is an excellent speaker, and is able to explain really complex concepts in a way that anyone can understand them.

Here is the abstract for the talk:

"Physics at the shortest measured length scales of our universe has a remarkably good description in terms of Quantum Field Theory. On the largest length scales, Einstein's theory of General Relativity provides an equally good description of nature. To solve problems like the origin of our universe and the final stages of black hole evaporation, we need a framework, Quantum Gravity, which successfully combines General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory. This is a difficult problem that has not yet been solved. In this talk I will explain clearly what the problem is and also review a recent, exciting conjecture for the theory of Quantum Gravity."
 
Quantum Mechanics is so simple -_-I REALLY don't get the big deal of it.
it is only predictions that are not 100% accurate.
It is like pointing at the sky and saying mars or the moon for that matter should be at this point.

bleh Quantum proccesors works the same way in reducing the searching times.

REALY talk about what matter consist of, true vacuums otherwise known as Dark matter or a Dark vacuum.

It is fun poking around in theories but it is even more fun proving them :D
 
Magnarmalok said:
Quantum Mechanics is so simple -_-I REALLY don't get the big deal of it.
it is only predictions that are not 100% accurate.
It is like pointing at the sky and saying mars or the moon for that matter should be at this point.

bleh Quantum proccesors works the same way in reducing the searching times.

REALY talk about what matter consist of, true vacuums otherwise known as Dark matter or a Dark vacuum.

It is fun poking around in theories but it is even more fun proving them :D
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Since you clearly know absolutely nothing about quantum mechanics I would advise you to refrain from posting about this topic. Read a book first instead of embarrassing yourself on a public forum.
 
mercurial said:
Why are all these interesting things always not in Cape Town?
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Because the interesting people are not in Cape Town ;)

500ServerError said:
Since you clearly know absolutely nothing about quantum mechanics I would advise you to refrain from posting about this topic. Read a book first instead of embarrassing yourself on a public forum.
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He isn't all wrong you know. But yes if only it was that simple :o

Think i'll go if I can get one of my friends to go with.

*hates being one of few who finds this interesting in his friends circle*
 
Magnarmalok said:
Quantum Mechanics is so simple -_-I REALLY don't get the big deal of it.
it is only predictions that are not 100% accurate.
It is like pointing at the sky and saying mars or the moon for that matter should be at this point.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... not quite. The main thing about quantum mechanics is not that it makes predictions that are not 100% accurate, but that it says that it is a feature of the universe that we cannot measure things to 100% accuracy, no matter how accurate the equipment we build.

The difference is subtle, but very important. We have grown up believing that things can be measured to 100% accuracy. Take position and momentum, for example. We believe that we can know the exact position and momentum of something at the same time (anyone who has gone through a speed trap is well aware of this).

However, in the quantum world this isn't the case. The more accurately you measure the position of a particle, the less accurately you can measure it's momentum, and vice versa. Again, this has nothing to do with our equipment or measuring techniques, it is a fundamental limit of the universe itself.

Resulting from this fact are the probability density functions that you talk about, that give predictions of probabilities of finding electrons in such-and-such an orbital, for example. But this is a consequence, not the conclusion.

Quantum mechanics is weird. If it doesn't blow your mind and sound completely strange, then you haven't completely understood it.

Magnarmalok said:
bleh Quantum proccesors works the same way in reducing the searching times.

REALY talk about what matter consist of, true vacuums otherwise known as Dark matter or a Dark vacuum. :D
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Please don't phrase-drop if you're not sure what you're talking about.
 
claire.lee said:
Resulting from this fact are the probability density functions that you talk about, that give predictions of probabilities of finding electrons in such-and-such an orbital, for example. But this is a consequence, not the conclusion.

Quantum mechanics is weird. If it doesn't blow your mind and sound completely strange, then you haven't completely understood it.


Please don't phrase-drop if you're not sure what you're talking about.
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Electron clouds :) And I fully agree if it doesnt baffle you then please go help all those nice people with the white lab coats make sense of the universe ;)
 
claire.lee said:
hehe, you need more nerdy friends! ;)
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Lol, nha I like my social life very much thanks :p I just wish I had a friend that understood as much as I do about these things (not saying I understand a lot :o) and that would like to learn more and debate and talk about it a bit :(

*starts singing: Lonely, I am so lonely, I have no physics buuuuuuudy!*
 
Devill said:
Lol, nha I like my social life very much thanks :p I just wish I had a friend that understood as much as I do about these things (not saying I understand a lot :o) and that would like to learn more and debate and talk about it a bit :(
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Lure your friends there by saying there will be cake and beer. We can always go get cake and beer afterwards :p

Devill said:
*starts singing: Lonely, I am so lonely, I have no physics buuuuuuudy!*
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ROFL everyone is looking at me strangely now!
 
I'll attend

just have to find out whether some of my colleagues want to attend too ... will RSVP tomorrow ;)
 
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