Physicists have discovered that light will behave both like a wave and like a particle. In the classic experiment, light particles are directed through two narrow slits, and instead of projecting a particle beam, they produce an interference pattern as if they are waves. But, when the same experiment is performed while the researchers are monitoring the individual slits, the interference pattern goes away and light begins acting like a particle again!
I have included two video links which clearly demonstrate this phenomenon and relate it to uncertainty: Dr. Quantum: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc Uncertainty and light: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH7z3TZFYWQ
What do you consider the impact of this discovery on the world of physical sciences? Do you see any relationship between these experiments and parapsychology? This is a science question, so I would appreciate reasoned responses, but I'm more interested in your opinions. Thanks!
2009-08-21T20:41:15Z
I'm very surprised that after a week, nobody has mentioned that these experiments demonstrate the limitations of our scientific processes to explain observable phenomenon. I am not trying to relate this directly to parapsychology, but the results in this experiment seem to make our current scientific explanations obsolete at some level. Sometimes, the illogical and unbelievable actually are real.
TR gave a good answer from the scientific viewpoint, and claptic and Mel also gave interesting answers. Thanks to everybody for providing their opinions in a civil manner!
2009-08-22T07:58:40Z
Thanks again to everyone who answered. I'm going to let this go to voting :^)
John2009-08-18T15:59:19Z
Favorite Answer
Dr. Quantum is a great video :) I'm really out of my league with the quantum physics. I have really only a layman's knowledge of this stuff. The double split experiment is one of the most incredible experiments in the history of science though in my opinion, and it demonstrates some inescapable yet seemingly absurd conclusions. The strangest is the observer effect. What I understand is that the act of observing is necessarily an interaction between particles, hence one particle is affected by the observation and the other isn't, they decohere, the wave function collapses and you see the particle behavior instead. I think Feynman said something about this experiment, that everything about QM could be deduced from these results, or something to that effect. That would certainly make this experiment historic in its impact on science.
Regarding parapsychological phenomenon, I don't see any necessary relationships between the two. I know it's tempting to make this comparison based on the observation of interaction at a distance and seeming communication between distant particles (and some have written whole books on this conjecture). But at this point it is only conjecture and there are utterly no mechanisms in place to explain any aspect of psi, nor even sufficient evidence yet to accept that it even exists. Would QM be part of an explanation for psi (e.g., telepathy) assuming that at some point it was shown to exist? Possibly, but how would the brain be able to code for information at the quantum level? What mechanism would transfer thought as the sum total of a certain population of interconnected neurons firing together into a coded message at the quantum level? It seems very implausible to me, QM or not.
I can absolutely guarantee you that there are distant stars in the universe that we have "not yet" observed that do, in fact, exist. You have a SERIOUSLY flawed conception of "manifesting in the physical universe" if you believe the Observer Effect as you have presented it here. If this is, in fact, "fundamanetal" to Quantum theory, then I submit that quantum theory is completely unfounded and needs to be reconsidered as a valid hypothesis. More likely, the error lies with your understanding.
This is a coinciding of science and religion, that is, what science is now able to describe the Hindu have been describing for aeons. Maya, or the great illusion, is so because of observance. The light acting like a particle is synonymous with the illusion given credence by our observation and wave behavior is synonymous with the unlimited spiritual potential beyond the illusion obtained by paralyzing fleshly eyes. The impact on science is to lead them another step away from their stiff necked materialism.
Its really a double edge sword. Lets say there was a connection found between quantum physics/Heisenberg uncertainty principal and parapsychology. The aspect of parapsychology that you are addressing would no longer fall under the category of parapsychology, but under the category of physics.
Honestly to answer your question, I don't see a relationship between the two fields. Of course, eventually if something exists, quantum physics will touch it in some form or other, since its the base of our entire universe. Quantum physics is a fairly new field of science, and offers a whole new universe of exploration. Its easy to jump the gun on findings and say "Hey, this is this and therefore this must be this." But that would be folly, especially to the majority of us who have to get the laymans rundown on any quantum physics experiment. We have to explore a lot more than we have.
I apologize if I drifted too far from your question.
Well, let's go to the basics of observation. Scientists have discovered that while viewing an atom...the location of the electrons in the outer shell are shown to be affected.
The second website demonstrates observer effect, which presuposes a natural ESP skill. See also, Harold Puthoff books and Ingo Swann's books
Yes, quantum physics is addressing this aspect: specialists are Dr. Harold Puthoff and Dr. Brian Smith