Paintings of TerrorCh266 - Wave-Particle Duality

“I feel I need to learn some more about this quantum physics,” Ke Xun sighed with his hands on his hips. “I never expected that in a painting controlled by supernatural forces, we would be talking about science? Is this some comedy show?”

The water on Mu Yiran’s body had dried. He put on his clothes again and pointed to the void above his head, “Particles are the smallest and most basic units that make up matter. All matter is composed of particles. Some physicists believe that all microscopic particles exhibit wave-particle duality. For example, light has characteristics of both a wave and a particle.” a3QHpk

Ke Xun nodded, “I understand this part.”

“Regarding this, I must bring up the double-slit interference experiment then. Did you learn about it in school?” Mu Yiran asked him.

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Ke Xun scratched his head, “You know, I once scored an amazing 13 points on a physics exam. Those 13 points were all from guessing on multiple-choice questions… I basically read comics or slept through physics class. Now thinking back, all I can remember about physics is the rosacea on the physics teacher’s nose…”

Mu Yiran shook his head helplessly. He reached out to pinched Ke Xun’s neck, and then rubbed his head, “Light is composed of photons, which are also particles.” 2QZPYM

“The double-slit interference experiment is where you place a candle in front of a piece of paper A with a small hole. Behind paper A, there is another paper B with two parallel slits. Behind paper B, there is a curtain to be used as a screen.

“Light passes through the small hole in paper A, then through the two slits in paper B, and finally, it projects onto the screen. What shape do you think the light spot projected onto the screen will be?”

Ke Xun smiled, “As soon as you asked this way, I knew the answer wouldn’t be what I thought. But I’ll answer based on what I thought — according to my ignorant and bottom-tier student’s usual thinking, the light spots projected on the screen should be two long and narrow light columns like the slits on paper B.”

“Light is composed of many light particles. Indeed, according to the usual idea, a bunch of light particles passing through the slits should form two long and narrow light columns on the screen.” Qin Ci interjected.

Mu Yiran nodded and continued, “However, what actually appears on the screen is a fence=like pattern, alternating between light and dark stripes. This kind of light pattern is caused by the superposition of different brightnesses of light. And this phenomenon is caused by wave’s ‘constructive interference’ and ‘destructive interference’ property. This is the double-slit interference phenomenon of light.”

“This phenomenon and experiment precisely proved that light has both particle-like and wave-like attributes—because waves exhibit ‘constructive interference’ and ‘destructive interference’ phenomena—this is what we call the ‘wave-particle duality’ of light.”

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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“After that, researchers conducted a third related experiment. This time, they replaced photons with electrons, and only one electron was emitted at a time.”

“According to common sense, a single electron cannot create interference because interference typically requires two or more entities. So what is projected onto the screen should be the state of a single particle.”

“However, the result was still unexpected. A single electron actually exhibited interference phenomena.” ERf9dM

Both Ke Xun and Qin Ci shivered.

“Damn…” Ke Xun rubbed his arms. “What’s going on? Clearly, it’s a scientific phenomenon, but why does it sound a bit… chilling upon closer thought?”

“Electrons are also particles. They are already the smallest individual unit, so that means it’s impossible to divide it into two. It can only exist as a single entity. But, how does it simultaneously pass through two slits?” Qin Ci’s eyes also showed a sense of surprise and bewilderment.

Mu Yiran looked up to the void above his head: “To understand the answer to this question, researchers installed a camera inside the originally sealed equipment to observe how a single electron can simultaneously pass through the double slits and create interference. RC4Vdp

“Then, something unimaginable happened—after installing the camera and conducting the same single-electron double-slit interference experiment, the interference phenomenon disappeared. When the camera was removed and the experiment was repeated, the interference phenomenon reappeared.

“In these repeated experiments, no matter who conducted them or where they were conducted, the results were consistent: installing the camera made the interference phenomenon disappear, and removing the camera made it reappear.

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“In other words, when we don’t observe it, the electron exists as both a particle and a wave. However, when we observe it, it appears in a particle state. It seems that our observation influences the results. Only when we make the ‘observation’ does it change into the state of a particle from a superposition of both a particle and a wave.

“Hence the most terrifying aspect of quantum mechanics emerges—particles, as if possessing consciousness, can perceive our actions. As long as we are observing them, they can sense it and exhibit different results.” 28P95i

“So the question arises—everything in the universe is composed of particles, and the state of particles is determined by the ‘consciousness’ they possess. Therefore, is the composition of everything in the universe determined by matter or consciousness? Is it objectively existing or subjectively constructed?

“Whose consciousness does the ‘consciousness’ of these particles belong to? Whose subjectivity constructs the subjectivity of this universe?

“In this world, did matter come first or did consciousness come first? And this consciousness—whose consciousness is it?”

“Wh-what the hell! What the hell! I’m scared!” Ke Xun took a step back, one hand covering his chest, looking at Mu Yiran with horror. “Yiran, what you’re saying, is it really a scientific conclusion from the real world? It’s not something concocted in science fiction novels or movies?!” GXNIKR

Mu Yiran pulled Ke Xun to himself — another step backward and he would have stepped on the iron plate. Then, he looked at Ke Xun calmly. “What I’m saying is indeed a scientific theory in the real world. However, it cannot be called a ‘conclusion’ yet, as there are still too many mysteries in the field of quantum mechanics that have not been unraveled. But this theory of consciousness does exist.”

“… I’m really about to be scared to death,” Ke Xun grabbed Mu Yiran’s hand to rub his chest vigorously. “After living for over twenty years, I was suddenly told today that this universe might be created by the consciousness of an unimaginable living being — completely overturning my understanding of the world for half of my life. M-my-my worldview has been completely reshaped…”

“Before I entered the painting, I firmly believed in materialism. I used to scoff at anything supernatural. Even when I encountered the whole painting thing, I never thought that the force behind it could transcend the laws of the universe. But now—”

“Now, suddenly, there’s a theory telling me that there might really be a creator-like entity in this universe?! Does this mean that the force behind the painting and it are on the same level? What’s the point of us fighting against it then……” Ggtfj5

“Ke Xun, calm down.” Mu Yiran held Ke Xun’s cheeks in his hands, making him look at him. “What kind of existence the force behind the paintings is, we don’t need to think about it now. The most crucial thing at the moment is to, from these scientific theories closely related to this painting, find clues to the signature. Let’s first get away from this painting.”

“Okay, okay… Wait a moment for me, let me calm down.” Ke Xun turned aside and took several deep breaths.

Mu Yiran turned to Qin Ci, seeing that he also seemed unable to fully accept it, with a hint of horror still lingering on his face, frozen in place.

“I think I understand…” Qin Ci swallowed and spoke with difficulty. “Why people say those who study physics are all madmen… Today, I’ve only scratched the surface through you, and I already feel like I’m going crazy. Those who understand physics more deeply and comprehensively probably encounter more confusion and unimaginable things. They are probably always on the verge of feeling like they’re going crazy every day.” oBU1ZG

Ke Xun turned back and wiped the sweat, possibly from the heat or from the shock, from his forehead. “Let’s not care about whether those people are crazy or not for now. Let’s talk about the present—since all substances in the macroscopic world are composed of numerous microscopic particles, then macroscopic matter should also have that quantum superposition state, right?”

“This is relevant to what Haowen mentioned earlier, the dispute between the two factions in the quantum physics world.” Mu Yiran said. “If the macroscopic world is also like the microscopic world of particles, with multiple indeterminate states superimposed, it means that the macroscopic world lacks rules, and everything is determined by random events. Because it cannot be determined and cannot be precisely measured, then all possibilities are just probabilities, not exact values. Einstein and Schrodinger did not agree with this view. Therefore, the ‘Schrödinger’s Cat’ theory was born. It was used to satirize the so-called macroscopic ‘quantum superposition state’ and ‘uncertainty’ theories.”

“So, this Cheng Shi, does he support the existence of quantum superposition in the macroscopic world, or, like Schrodinger, is mocking this theory?” Qin Ci furrowed his brows.

Mu Yiran’s gaze deepened, and he spoke slowly, word by word, “In fact, before the death of Cheng Shi’s son, in the world’s top scientific journal ‘Nature’, researchers from a certain country claimed that they had achieved a ‘Schrödinger’s Cat’ state with a large number of particles, which means they basically achieved a state of quantum superposition on a macroscopic scale.” 5zBXMk

Qin Ci and Ke Xun were shocked again. Qin Ci said, “So, what you mean is that Cheng Shi acknowledges quantum superposition in the macroscopic world? Then the title of this painting, ‘Schrödinger’s Cat,’ is not ironic. Instead, it implies that Cheng Shi believes the ‘Schrödinger’s Cat’ state can exist on a macroscopic scale?”

Mu Yiran nodded slightly. “Yes, that’s what I believe.”

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“So…” Ke Xun rubbed his hair at the back of his head. “For us in this painting that he created, we might be influenced by his consciousness in this world. At this moment, we might truly be in a state where we are both alive and dead?”

  gSuie8