Day: January 28, 2010

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Schrödinger’s Cat And Public Policy

Schrödinger’s cat is a famous thought experiment summed up this way,

A cat is placed in a box, together with a radioactive atom. If the atom decays, and the geiger-counter detects an alpha particle, the hammer hits a flask of prussic acid (HCN), killing the cat. The paradox lies in the clever coupling of quantum and classical domains. Before the observer opens the box, the cat’s fate is tied to the wave function of the atom, which is itself in a superposition of decayed and undecayed states. Thus, said Schroedinger, the cat must itself be in a superposition of dead and alive states before the observer opens the box, “observes” the cat, and “collapses” it’s wave function.

Of course, the problem with thought experiments like this when used to analogize scientific issues is obvious. Let me pop the bubble around this one: how long is the cat in a “superposition of dead and alive states” while closed in this sealed box?

Just long enough for its air to run out so that it suffocates.

Geniuses just don’t seem to think these things out. Einstein discussed Schrödinger’s hypothetical cat with the guy for at least 15 years without ever noting this simple problem with the thought experiment, as far as I can tell. That’s just one of many reasons why I don’t trust the smart people in government to decide what’s best for me. They just don’t seem to look at (or care about) any of the options outside their own paradigm.

Besides, they might just be the kind of person who doesn’t like cats and will put ’em in boxes to suffocate to death.

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Der Führer Disses the iPad

As much as I hate to find myself in agreement with “Hitler” I simply cannot find room to disagree with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnT0zp8Ya4&feature=player_embedded

And the thing is, this video only scratches the surface of the stupid feature set. iPad: just the thing for thoughtless and dim-witted Apple junkies (there does exist a class of thoughful and intelligent Apple junkies *heh*) who like to waste money.

h.t. Planck’s Constant

Micro-mini-update, in an article at eWeek I found this lil gem,

Digital device expert Walt Mossberg called this “amazingly low-priced for an Apple product.”

*heh* And I’d bet dollars to donuts Apple addicts would think that’s praise, while the rest of the world would recognize the qualifier (“for an Apple product”) as acknowledgement that Apple products are generally over-priced.

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As Ought to Be?

My first wind instrument, not counting of course the recorder I played as an even younger child, was a trombone. In fact, it remained my primary musical instrument–apart from voice–for many years. Hence my chuckle when I read the following in a contemporary Holmesian short story, The Adventure of the Lost World by Dominic Green

“…I consider it normal to see a man’s life taken from him by another for the pursuit of criminal gain, Watson; but it is rare indeed for him to be eaten afterwards.”

Even I, who have been in Afghanistan, was appalled. “Surely not.”

“Just so, Watson. In the past seven days, on Hampstead Heath, there have been seven attacks upon street musicians, each the player of a trombone of some description, and each attacked, if those who heard the attacks are to be believed, whilst executing the closing bars of Gustav Holst’s Thaxted [see below the fold–ed.]. In each case, the victim appears to have been attacked from above, the flesh crushed and cut, the bones splintered, the capital extremity entirely missing in many cases. Each victim’s body was also notable for the stench of corruption which hung about it, like gas gangrene.”

“Accidental death has been ruled out, then? A recurrent trombone malfunction of some order—”

“—has already been checked for… [emphasis added-ed.]

*heh* “A recurrent trombone malfunction of some order… ” There were times… (Ah, the memories!)

“No, no, Watson! Blowing one’s head off from excessive back pressure developed while playing ones instrument is much more common among oboe players!”

*ROFLKASTMAFO*

Later, when I’d given up trombone for other instruments, other musical pursuits, when I taught budding musicians, I noted that the flute players were always the most cooperative, compliant and studious of instrumentalists, while the trombone players (and drummers–not to be confused with percussionists*) were generally the clowns and “martini lifters” (and the trumpet players the “weight lifters”–the “jocks” of the band). Again, there were times… *heh*

Continue reading “As Ought to Be?”