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Re: [RC] Are the LD's feeding 50's? - David Heaslett

This has been a wonderful diversion from the old LD controversy. Contemplating Quantum physics on the LD ride, that may be why we ride slower. Or, we could just be out for a good time with our horses and the many new friends we're making. Ed and Heidi, thank you again for your support for Hap at Oreana. We're looking forward to seeing you again. Dave


----- Original Message ----- From: "Smith, Dave" <dsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Truman Prevatt" <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Sisu West Ranch" <ranch@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 9:03 AM
Subject: RE: [RC] Are the LD's feeding 50's?



Truman:


"Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle?," "Plank Length?," "Quantum
Steps"???  Huh???!*  To paraphrase an old cowboy I once knew, "with all
this manure, there's got to be a pony in there somewhere!"

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Truman Prevatt
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 8:44 AM
To: Sisu West Ranch
Cc: ridecamp
Subject: Re: [RC] Are the LD's feeding 50's?

Sisu West Ranch wrote:
"...To paraphrase Steve Weinberg, Nobel Laureate in physics, causality
requires faith and more rightly belongs in the regime of religion...."


Except when I enjoy the use of modern solid state electronics, classical mechanics works fine for my life. I guess that is what mean

by knowing what causes something. Truman is right in the strict
sense.
If you take something as simple as the orbit of the earth around the
sun, you can actually quantize the classical equations and determine a
Schrodinger's equation to describe the physics (anything you can
describe classically can be quantized into a description by
Schrodinger's equation). It turns out the equation has an discrete
(infinite) set of energy states and levels. That means that the orbit
can only be in one state and it has to be in one of those states similar

to an electron around the nucleus of the Hydrogen atom. The classical
answer is the orbit distance can be any value in a continuum not just a
discrete set of values.

It, however, turns out the adjacent energy states (and energy levels)
are so close together that they approach the "Plank Length" the smallest

possible distance between two states which means it is impossible (
becasuse of Heisenberg's  Uncertainty Principle) to tell that it wasn't
a continuum. That is for all practical purposes the classical answer was

sufficient. The fact that there is a Plank length (or minimal length be
it only 10^-35 meters) implies the physical world is not a continuum but

composed of quantum steps.

This exercise  had more to do with punishing poor students than any
practical use. But there are a lot of effects which are at the backbone
of our modern technology that require more than classical thinking and
where the effect we see is the statistical average of the motion of many

particles electrons - our PC's for example.

To make this endurance related - it was something we all had to endure.

The closest I have come to a quantum event recently was when I found a

poor pony on a rural road near here about a week ago.  He had somehow
leaked out of his pasture and could not get back in.  I had to open
the gate (lower the potential energy barrier) to let him back in.  He
seemed grateful.


We all enjoy the benefits of "tunnel diodes" - but is the first time I
have heard of a "tunneling horse" ;-) .

Truman

--

"Ethical axioms are found and tested not very differently from the
axioms of science. Truth is what stands the test of experience." Albert
Einstein


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Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

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RE: [RC] Are the LD's feeding 50's?, Smith, Dave