inkbluesky

If you and a friend look at a building then your friend covers their eyes the building as you can attest does not disappear. Reality as such is not dependent on observation. Well, maybe its not. The building is composed of atoms which in turn are composed of subatomic particles. The Reality Tests

The experiment wouldn’t be too difficult, but understanding it would. It took them months to reach their tentative conclusion: If quantum mechanics described the data, then the lights’ polarizations didn’t exist before being measured. Realism in quantum mechanics would be untenable.

[  ]…With eerie precision, the results of Gröblacher’s weekend experiments had followed the curve predicted by quantum mechanics. The data defied the predictions of Leggett’s model by three orders of magnitude. Though they could never observe it, the polarizations truly did not exist before being measured.

In the linked article is some background on the history of quantum mechanics and reality. The histrical preface makes it a little easier for us non-physicists to get a refresher on the reality problem and quantum theory. Prof. Zeilinger thinks that once some techonological hurdles are overcome they’ll be able to have a realism experiment in space where the conditions would be optimum. Those looking for more information and the study notes version might find this helpful, The Real Reality by Emily Garber

closer to reality

I was just talking to someone earlier about the psychology of conspiracy theories, “Who Sent You?” — The Coming Attack on Obama

At least one major right-wing smear attack on Obama may be gearing up. I’ll call it the “Who Sent You” campaign. As weird as it sounds — and it is weird stuff — the gist of it is that Obama’s birth was part of a secret plan by communists, Jews and one-worlders to take over the world. As you read this it is going to sound so fanatically wingnut/John Birch Society/black helicopter/precious bodily fluids weird that you are likely to dismiss it as the rantings of crazy people. But I have learned over the years that this stuff resonates with a certain crowd, and they are remarkably effective at tapping the fears of Americans.

We’ve been down this road before on why people lie and how effective lying can be on even the most rational person. There is a some wisdom in the addage that if you repeat a lie often enough people will believe it. Maybe you hear a rumor a few times over the course of a few weeks, but dismiss it. Maybe even search around the net for a few minutes at lunch. Then you keep hearing it, seeing it in e-mails. Being a social animal that isn’t immune from community chatter you entertain, for a few secounds the possibility that its true. The hard headed realists will then have a moment of private embarrassment and shake it off. Not so with the precious bodily fluids crowd.

Not exactly an orphan Amendment, but maybe not as glamorous as some other parts of the Constitution, the 14th Amendment

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.