From: "Dan Minette" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > That's not so true now. We've had 80 years to think about it. While I'm > no expert, I've been thinking about the ramafications of QM for a few years > now....more than I care to admit. :-)
Well, I expect once the quantum revolution is truly underway, we'll never really know what hit us. Some of the things we can do already, like sculpting electron orbitals (however briefly) totally boggles my mind. > It is valid statement if one equates "understands" with "provides a > realistic explaination of." If one does not require a realistic > philosophy, then understanding comes a lot easier. I tend to like a > Kantiant philsophy as a foundation. How would you define "understanding" qm then? I've had several classes in qm in my past, and I am pretty sure I don't "understand" it in any way that makes real sense to me. I was once able to solve homework problems and such in qm, but they were more exercises in mathematics to me than any meaningful sort of thing. I could (and probably will have to) give a simplistic description of some of the basic concepts, but don't think I'll ever understand it in the same way I understand, for example, Newton's laws. ><golf-betting example snipped> While I'd never say never when it comes to quantum mechanics, I'd agree the "teleportation" of humans is probably not going to happen. I do wonder, however, if it's what Dr Brin had in mind when he was creating the dittos in Kiln People, and if dittoing is done using a kind of entanglement. > BTW, I don't recognize you as a regular poster. If you are new, welcome. > If you are an infrequent poster, my apologies for not remembering you. :-) Thanks. As has been mentioned, I'm not new, but I don't say much. Mostly due to time constraints, partly due to the fact I tend to stay out of emotionally loaded internet conversations, which most of the ones here are. Not that they aren't fun to read, though--I just don't have much to say about them except the odd thing or two I'd probably regret saying later, so I don't say anything. I do like to pipe up on the science and computer-related threads occasionally as time permits, particularly if I have a possible answer or potential resource that hasn't been mentioned yet. I don't really expect folks to remember me every single time, especially given my sparse posting level. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
