The Double Slit Experiment is an experiment in Quantum Physics in which the effects were shown by Thomas Young way back in 1803, but since has been proven even more strange by many others. It's power truly reveals a mind-altering view of the world and how we affect it. I'm going to explain everything as easily as possible so that you won't get discouraged during this explanation, so open your mind and be ready for a strange ride.
First of all, let's explain what Quantum Physics is. Quantum Physics, simply put, is a type of physics of the atomic and subatomic levels which means it's the study of the very, very small. Normal physics do not apply at this level. Heck, there's nothing that seems normal that applys at this level.
What do I mean by that? Well, remember in school when they taught you that electrons, protons, and neutrons were tiny balls of matter. Even that is not always true. What? They taught us lies? No, they were teaching you in just a way that your young mind could have some kind of explanation of what is down there at that level. The electron is not really matter as we know it anyway, its just a cloud of energy. Ok, that's somewhat believable so far. Here is where you'll have to choke down some faith. Electrons, protons, neutrons are popping in and out of existence constantly. Scientists don't know why, they don't know where they go. They just know they do. New theories suggest parallel universes. It gets even wierder with the Double Slit Experiment so read on.
To explain this experiment, we first must truly grasp the difference between a particle and a wave.
A particle is what we perceive as matter of some sort - something with mass.
A wave is a disturbance in some type of substance - like ripples through water
Ok, that's easy enough. Now, what if I told you that a subatomic particle isn't a particle until you observe it. What is it then? Its a wave. Huh? For some unknown reason that haunts scientists, everything we perceive as having mass is just a wave of information (or possibilities) until we observe it in some way. I'm not talking in the philosophical way like if a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, does it make a sound. The Double Slit Experiment seems to answer that question as you'll see later. Until we observe the soon to be particle, its a wave that's actually doing every possibility it could do at the same time. Huh?!?! It doesn't make any sense, yet this is one experiment that appears to somewhat prove this. The Double Slit Experiment shows us that we create reality just by observing it. WHOA, create reality?! Yes we do. If you still don't believe me, watch these television and movie excerpts and make up your own mind:
| NOVA Episode: Quantum Leap (The Fabric of the Cosmos) | |
| Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman | |
What the Bleep!? Down the Rabbit Hole starring Marlee Matlin and Elaine Hendrix | |
Has this changed your view of your old science class in school? The subatomic material will take every possible path at the same time as a wave when not observed. When observed, the particle collapses down to one point as a particle. What can this mean about us? Do we all have powers that we are not aware of? What it does seem to prove is that we create reality by observing it. Most scientists will tell you that we don't have any control of how we create reality and believe that. Some say we have nothing to do with creating reality but really do think that we do, but the backlash of the scientific community would come down on them for believing in "spooky unknowns" as Einstein would say. Some scientists will say that we can create our own reality and have their own theories to back it up. I'm not here to say any side is right. I just love this experiment and the debates that it brings to us.
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