Quantum Mechanics or Statistical Mechanics?

[theorist]

Poll question: Quantum Mechanics or Statistical Mechanics?

What's your poison? If you're Uncertain, just go with Quantum.

[NewGuy]

1. As a EE I need the waves badly n/t

[theorist]

2. I'm a grad student in quantum chemistry.

You can probably guess where my biases lie. I have a couple more meetings for classes in each of these subjects, and I was evaluating my prejudices. They both have their ups and downs, but QM is much more beautiful.

[SnowGoose]

3. Thoughforms

Haven't you heard? We perceive the universe into existance via thoughforms...

doo-dee-doo-doo, doo-dee-doo-doo


(give yourself extra credit if you knew that was supposed to be the theme from the twilight zone).

[ProfessorGAC]

4. I Voted Other. I Really Meant Yes!

My first two masters degrees were in quantum chemistry and then statistical mechanics. (Two peas in the same pod, i would guess.)

So, i can't choose. It's not fair that you were trying to make me choose. Not fair, not fair, not fair! (Stomping feet and pouting.)
The Professor

[aneerkoinos]

5. It's both

In the Bohmian causative interpretation quantum mechanics is statistical mechanics, plus the electrons think about each other...

[theorist]

9. You're right, but...

that's an obscure interpretation to most people. In fact (as you probably know), it wasn't even proposed by Bohm. (I think it was Madelung and de Broglie who separately proposed it in the mid 1920s. Please correct me if I'm wrong here.) Most practitioners carry around the Copenhagen interpretation, though (especially us Chemical Physicists).

:)

[aneerkoinos]

12. The usual term is

De Broglie-Bohm interpretation, I think. I think the pilot wave (Psi) stuff is pure Bohm, but I'm not certain.

What's interesting is this is the interpetation Dalai Lama can accept but not Copenhagen, because Copenhagen don't allow reincarnation. Also Einstein would put his bets on the Bohm version.

Needless to say especially us fringe guys (like Sheldrake) love the Bohm version, which may offer natural explanations for telepathy and telekinesis... :)

[pmbryant]

6. I prefer Celestial Mechanics

:-)

--Peter

[Dudley_DUright]

7. My wavefunction is in a mixed state and is uncollapsed on this question

Here is a good quote from one of my intellectual heroes, Richard Feynman:

"I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics." -Richard Feynman

[theorist]

11. That's a good quote considering that...

it came from one of the masters of the subject. The amazing thing to me is that something like QM, which has a relatively simple set of postulates, actually works.

[Loonman]

8. If Quantum Mechanics doesn't give you a headache

You don't understand it that well.

[Dudley_DUright]

10. You sound just like Niels Bohr!

"Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum mechanics cannot possibly have understood it." -Niels Bohr