Quantum strangeness

So, I linked to a video in the last post and wanted to clarify something about it.  Right around four minutes and thirty seconds into the video it explains that the electron “decides” which slit it goes through “As if it were aware it was being watched”.  Electrons are not aware of anything and they certainly don’t decide which path to take.

When describing Quantum physics to people sometimes I will say things like “if it is not observed then it does not have a definite position.”, but saying observed might give too much credence to the thought that our minds are special to the universe, interact might be a better term than observe.  Until it interacts with something then it does not have a definite position.  This might seem strange and it is.  Quantum physics is very counter-intuitive, but is is certainly not magical.

Dr. Chopra (remember that believing someone just because they have a degree is the argument from authority logical fallacy) uses the word quantum like so many other new age con artists and quacks, as a way to make themselves seem more legitimate.  They try to hijack the term to use it in their pseudoscience. --

Wait, let me go on a tangent for a second.  Pseudoscience might be too forgiving of a word.  it might imply that what they do offers some but not all the benefits of science.  So lets stop using that and just call it what it is. --

They try to hijack the term to use it in their scam.  How do I know that it is a scam?  They are selling books aren’t they?  Books that claim to hold the secrets to wellness, success, and fulfillment? Have they proved that their product works in a double blind study with a large test group?  Did they publish any papers on it in peer reviewed science journals?  Can they truly alleviate anything that a placebo cannot?  If they have not done these things then odds are it’s being sold two booths down from a crystal harvested from Atlantis.

Sure, some other fields use the world quantum.  It is Latin and it’s not like anyone owns the phrase.  But we have to be aware that quantum mechanics is ridiculously complex and take with a grain of salt when people try to sell us something based on it.  There may be legitimate products some time in the future based on quantum physics, but now the only thing legitimate about quantum mechanics available to consumers are books explaining how it works. (I have not read those last two yet but have heard good things.  I do heartily recommend the first one)