Re: Quantum physics question.

I find it difficult to think Laughlin making an outright false statement
here, so I am still waiting to see if I can get a clearer understanding of
what excatly the qoute means.

I never read Laughlin. I have read about quantum mechanics. I
once started a project in quantum mechanics, but never was able to get
into it. However, what your quotes from Laughin don't sound false to
me. What think he is trying to say is the following, which I am
putting in my own words.

Quantum physics describes systems as having a dual nature both
as wave and particle. According to the current consensus, which is
called the Copenhagen interpretation, both pictures are equally
fundamental. However, some scientists believe that the wave picture is
the fundamental description of the universe, while the particle
picture describes emergent properties stemming from the complexity of
the system. In varaince with the Copenhagen interpretation, the
particle holds together partly because of its interaction with other
waves. Recent experiments have supported this view. What we call
particles stay together as particles partly because of their
bombardment by other waves.
According to this view, an atom is on the most fundamental level
a wave packet. Ehrenfest's theorem shows that a wave packet could
indeed act like a particle in the Newtonian sense. However, if you
look closely at the the wave packet equations you will note that there
is a dispersion term due to the fact that the wave packet is a complex
object. It is the superposition of a great many sinusoidal waves. If
the separate sinusoidal components aren't excited, and in phase, there
would be no wave packet.
The reason that the Copenhagen interpretation was so popular is
that the atom doesn't disperse in such an obvious manner. When one
does the right experiment, one always finds the atom at a precise
spot. Now, the probabilitiy of finding the atom at the precise spot is
ruled by a probability denisty that follows the uncertainty principle.
However, the atom particle itself seems to always appear at a precise
spot. So the particle nature was considered just as fundamental as the
wave. The particle nature of the atom seems to exist above and beyond
that required by the uncertainty principle.
Recent experiments suggest that even the atom stays together, to
an extent above and beyond the uncertainty principle. Some experiments
have shown that electron particles do disperse, as described by wave
mechanics, when they are isolated. When they are exposed to a heat
bath of electromagnetic radiation, they disperse a lot slower. By a
similar logic, a photon is a wave packet for electromagnetic
radiation. However, it too would disperse if it didn't occassionally
interact with a charge.
Therefore, I suggest what Laughin may be saying is the following.
Everything is on the most fundamental level a wave. The particle
nature of things is an emergent property.
I wish to point out that just because the particle nature is an
emergent property, one can't say it doesn't exist. Lots of things
exist which aren't fundamental. Heredity is more fundamental than
evolution. Just because evolution emerges from the interaction of
genes doesn't mean evolution don't exist. There, I tied the discussion
to evolution.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: "Evidence of the Existence of the Aether"
    ... a probability to kill anyone it hits as a particle> of aether traveling through the aether does. ... there is no difference between a wave ... the story is similar wrt a photon. ... system relative to the atom it reacts with, ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: "Evidence of the Existence of the Aether"
    ... from or into the given reaction atom. ... the aetheric matter "associated with" the wave system can be absorbed ... even though no material particle was part of that wave. ... of a photon excludes it from being a physical particle of aether ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Superluminal deBroglie Pilot Waves & Magnetoelectrism
    ... Broglie proposed the concept that every particle had a pilot ... wave envelope enclosing it and moving at the particle's velocity. ... Electromagnetism and Magnetoelectrism: ... The gauge symmetry for this system of fields is U ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: The Emission Theory of Androcles
    ... The star is seen behind where it actually is. ... But the wave front is coming from a different direction, ... So any individual particle of light is traveling in a straight line from ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Quantum physics question.
    ... some scientists believe that the wave picture is ... the fundamental description of the universe, while the particle ... an atom is on the most fundamental level ... get a better grasp on the fundamentals. ...
    (talk.origins)