Then quantum mechanics breaks down reversibility?

Post #280,477 by orion 4/3/07 4:21:06 PM Reply	Then quantum mechanics breaks down reversibility? [link\|http://www.rdrop.com/users/green/school/informat.htm\|http://www.rdrop.com...hool/informat.htm] The Information Paradox was caused by a possible conflict between the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics after Professor Stephan Hawking announced that black holes consume information (Susskind 53) This theory was otherwise known as the notion that "black holes have no hair". In other words, the size and shape of a black hole depends not on the body that collapsed to form it, but just the mass and rotation (Hawking 120). Professor Hawking provides that since the only thing that is left to measure is the mass and rotation much of the information that falls into a black hole is lost. [b]However, Professor Gerard 't Hooft of Utrecht University claims that if such information was lost, then quantum mechanics breaks down one of the important principles of quantum mechanics is reversiblity. This is the idea that regardless of what happens to particles, they can always be restored by reversing time and therefore recovering lost information. Otherwise, energy can be created or destroyed and that is a contradiction of one of the fundamental rules of quantum mechanics, which is the conservation of energy. (Susskind 53-54)[/b] Finally, the Hawking Radiation that escapes from the boundry of the event horizon emits particles and therefore the black hole suffers a loss to both mass and energy. If this is true, Susskind and 't Hooft postulates that information can be carried out in the Hawking Radiation (Susskind 56). However, physicists have yet to agree whether or not information can escape a black hole although it may pose a paradox if it couldn't. Cosmic string theory and a special new theory of relativity may help to answer this paradox yet. You do understand the Information Paradox that Hawking proposed and other scientists were upset over? I understand that it is beyond basic Physics, and you might think that quantum mechanics is wrong? "It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese." Carl Sagan (1934 - 1996) [link\|http://district268.xormad.com\|I am from District 268].
Post #280,531 by JayMehaffey 4/3/07 9:51:48 PM Reply	Re: Then quantum mechanics breaks down reversibility? You do understand the Information Paradox that Hawking proposed and other scientists were upset over? I understand that it is beyond basic Physics, and you might think that quantum mechanics is wrong? I know about the Information paradox, though some of the math involved is beyond me. Current theory says there is no violation. But the fix is pure conjecture, of course, the problem is also pure conjecture. It is not like we have any black holes to try these things. As for quantum mechanics being wrong? In general no, it is too well tested for those things that happen on the Earth. For corner cases that don't happen here, it is not only possible but very likely. Both QM and general relativity are incomplete and are sure to be so until they can be merged, and that merger will probably involve some alterations of the way things work. This really has nothing to do with life on our scale though. In a quantum sense information can not be destroyed, but only because you might be able to reverse time and work backwards to recreate it. This is roughly like saying if I take a sledge hammer to a watermelon, the watermelon is still there because all the parts are there and I could put it back together. Jay
Post #280,539 by orion 4/3/07 10:05:58 PM Reply	Re: Then quantum mechanics breaks down reversibility? Well like I said it is beyond our science and technology to bring the dead back to life or even learn how a spirit works or how to encode or decode one. If we manage to figure out how to reverse time, it could be possible, though I doubt that would happen in our lifetimes. In truth there is a lot about life and death that we do not fully understand yet. We can only speculate. When it comes to these sorts of things, we are still living in caves technology and science wise. I liken it to a Neanderthal who cannot figure out how to put a puzzle back together, but millions of years later and farther down the evolutionary path, one of his future relatives figures it out and solves the puzzle. Millions of years from now, who knows, maybe farther down the evolutionary path and one of our future relatives figures out how to put dead people back together? "It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese." Carl Sagan (1934 - 1996) [link\|http://district268.xormad.com\|I am from District 268].

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