when the world is perfectly described by particles?
Waves don't exist. Convince me they do. Why do we conjecture on the existence of "waves" when the world is perfectly described by particles?
Yes I'm feeling a bit cheeky.
We can agree that photons exist... but what are photons? Particles?1. Wavefunctions (such as Schrodinger's) have no physicality and are only useful in estimating measurements. Note this includes EM waves! I claim they do not exist! It is photons, and not EM waves, that are causing you that sunburn...
Fundamentally, you could bring it down to two adjacent molecules. Movement in one induces movement in the next... that's a wave.2. Ocean waves are a mental construct to explain energy transfer. At what point does water's movement "constitute" a wave? A billion water molecules moving together? 100? A single molecule? The answer is subjective.
Your argument is not clear.If waves were truly a "thing" then I could break the speed of light by moving a (very powerful) laser pointer back and forth quickly from Earth upon the surface of the moon...
Steve, if only wave-like paths were available to the particles then bands would indeed show on the screen.
Enmos, that's a pretty picture! (made of particles)
I have two points:
1. Wavefunctions (such as Schrodinger's) have no physicality and are only useful in estimating measurements. Note this includes EM waves! I claim they do not exist! It is photons, and not EM waves, that are causing you that sunburn...
2. Ocean waves are a mental construct to explain energy transfer. At what point does water's movement "constitute" a wave? A billion water molecules moving together? 100? A single molecule? The answer is subjective.
If waves were truly a "thing" then I could break the speed of light by moving a (very powerful) laser pointer back and forth quickly from Earth upon the surface of the moon...
Cheski: Well actually the thread started as a (bit of a sarcastic) counter to sisyphus' thread entitled "help me please", where he asks the readers to convince him that particles (photons) exist. (You'd better let him know how rotten HIS topic title is!)
I'm not "giving" evidence; I'm asking for it from you and others to prove that matter is ever in the quasi-existent state of a wavefunction. I propose that the world is objectively real and that there is no "transitory state" of a giant question mark between measurements of a quantum system. Before you say that I have the burden of proof, I submit that:
A) Sacrificing Reality is what should require the burden of proof and
B) Given how long your Jell-O response was, I am sure that you would give me a counter-example if you had one.
Besides, I told you I was feeling cheeky
Finally; I don't think people look at wave functions as definitive. It's simply a tool used to predict the state with the highest probability currently known. If they knew the minor details there would be no more research. There has to be some recurring events though, and the best way to calculate and predict those is through wave functions.