Category Archives: Philosophical

Particle physics, neutrinos, and chirality too!

Physicist: This was an email correspondence that was too interesting to abandon, but covered so much ground that it didn’t easily parse into just a couple of questions. Q: What force is the ‘kinetic’ force? If 2 particles bounce of … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Particle Physics, Philosophical, Quantum Theory | 3 Comments

Q: How does reflection work?

The original question was: How does reflection work (what happens on the reflective surface), why is the angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection and can this be viewed both from particle and wave point of view? Physicist: … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Geometry, Philosophical, Physics | 2 Comments

Q: What does a measurement in quantum mechanics do?

Physicist: This is a follow up of this post, that would’ve been too long and meandering with this included.  To sum up that post, a “measurement” is an interaction that exchanges information. In the Copenhagen interpretation, what that measurement does … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Entropy/Information, Philosophical, Physics, Quantum Theory | 14 Comments

Q: How can we have any idea what a 4D hypercube or any n-D object “looks like”? What is the process of developing a picture of a higher dimensional object?

Physicist: Math.  Math all over. A picture of a 3D object is a “projection” of that object onto a 2D page.  Projection to an artist means taking a picture or drawing a picture.  To a mathematician it means keeping some … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Geometry, Math, Philosophical | 24 Comments

Q: If we meet aliens, will they have the same math and physics that we do?

Physicist: Similar.  We’re sure to have figured out stuff they haven’t, and they’re sure to have figured out stuff we haven’t.  But there’s likely to be a fair amount of overlap. Some things have a way of being figured out … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Philosophical | 12 Comments

Q: What is the universe expanding into? What’s outside the universe?

Physicist: Probably nothing.  We do know that the universe doesn’t need anything to expand into, and we haven’t seen any evidence that there is anything outside of the universe.  But there has still been some speculation. In the last hundred … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Astronomy, Philosophical, Physics | 63 Comments