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Atlantic0ne t1_j8h2ah0 wrote

Reply to comment by Weed_O_Whirler in Light traveling through a medium that slows it. Does the same photon emerge? by TheGandPTurtle

A quality answer and even some better added mystery. Nice! Well done. So, why do physicists fight about that? Is it actually unsettled science?

Are there any other mysterious things in physics you can share?

My favorite thing I’ve been learning about lately (as a layman) is the double slit experiment, quantum mechanics, how particles behave differently when observed. I’ve been reading people say that one possible answer is the many worlds theory, and I haven’t heard other respected theories yet. Any thoughts?

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MasterPatricko t1_j8jak1s wrote

> A quality answer and even some better added mystery. Nice! Well done. So, why do physicists fight about that? Is it actually unsettled science?

It's not as mysterious or unsettled as portrayed -- rather it is a case of using non-specific language when trying to simplify for students or laypeople, leading to confusion. The math is exact and well tested. Have a look at my direct reply.

As for interpretations of quantum mechanics -- that one is unsettled. We know the math of QM works very well, but we have little idea what physical meaning (if any) to assign to a lot of the intermediate operations we do in a calculation. Ars Technica recently published a decent article on the topic.

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Atlantic0ne t1_j8jczlx wrote

Another quality reply, thank you.

So… if you’re in the mood, what do you rank as the #1 plausible reason for QM/particle behavior when observed? Have you heard of the many worlds theory?

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