Einstein saves the quantum cat

Phys.Org ^ | 063-16-2015 | Provided by University of Vienna

[grey_whiskers]

“similar to a mass on a rubber mat attracting smaller masses that circle it”

The thing is, a depression on a rubber mat only causes that attraction because gravity already exists and is pulling the masses down. We can’t even imagine an example of how gravity works that doesn’t depend on a pre-existing notion of gravity!

Once again, xkcd for the win! :

[Rebel_Ace]

"...What relationship does this have, for instance, on the Space Station, where the people onboard are weightless; NO gravity? Why don’t we see some of this weird phenomina out there? Inquiring minds want to know.....where to acquire some of the stuff these guys are smoking, maybe?..."

I believe that the article indicates that by the time you are talking about molecular sized assemblies, that the OBJECT ITSELF is sufficient to suppress the quantum effects on its own.

That's why you could have something like an alcohol molecule floating in a region of essentially "gravity free" interstellar space, and that molecule won't "wink in and out" of existence like a single sub-atomic quark or something.

[Swordmaker]

The problem I see with the “rubber mat” theory of gravity is that it is always demonstrated along a flat plane, i.e., the gravitational pull affects along the plane of gravity. Except gravity is not on a plane but a 360x360 area.

Don't you mean a 360 x 360 x 360 x time (the 4th dimension) area. . . and apparently quantum theory postulates eleven dimensions to properly account for everything.

[broken_arrow1]

Yeah? prove it!

[Red Badger]

[rikkir]

I think that’s the only way the human brain can process that space-time is a fabric, and not just open nothingness.

[rikkir]

You have put a smile on my face for the rest of the day!!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Red Badger.

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[onedoug]

They’re actually in ‘free fall’, where the sinking rate of their ship approximates the curvature of the earth. It’s the same effect as in the Vomit Comet, or their airplane which goes into a parabolic dive allowing those inside to “feel” weightless. Yet, still being in the atmosphere, the plane must pull out of the dive in only a few minutes.

At the distance to the Space Station, and outside the earth’s atmosphere, the effect seems continuous. But even its orbit will eventually decay, necessitating its evacuation, or somehow propelling it into a new, higher orbit.

[Moonman62]

And this jitter is affected by time dilation: it is slowed down on the ground and speeds up at higher altitudes. The researchers have shown that this effect destroys the quantum superposition and, thus, forces larger objects to behave as we expect in everyday life.

...

So if the boxed cat is far away from any gravitational field it can still be both alive and dead?

[broken_arrow1]

Okay, I will accept that as proof...