Chapter 664: Observation Changes the World
In the big cla.s.sroom, it was so quiet that even a single breath would be heard.
Once Lucien turned on the device, within the projection on the wall, many light spots appeared. They followed no order, No one could predict where the next light spot would show up.
There were more and more light spots. Heidi’s mouth opened big out of surprise. In her eyes, there was this cla.s.sic and beautiful interference image!
The arcanists took a deep breath from their surprise. There was no more doubt about an electron’s wave properties. No pure particle theory could explain this.
“Double-slit interference of electrons…” said Douglas in a low voice at the back of the cla.s.sroom. The experiment result was still bearable to him.
In the past year, the secret of Pathway of Immortality, the rapid development of microscopic domain, and the results of many experiments had made Douglas, Fernando, and the rest of the leading arcanists mentally prepared for the idea of electronic cloud and they had also gained a deeper understanding of wave-particle duality. However, what they disagreed with Lucien was that they believed in a further explanation behind the properties, and thus Lucien’s quantum mechanics was not perfect yet.
Even though, when seeing this interference image, the grand arcanists were still deeply thrilled – They had never expected it that an electron could perform such pure wave properties!
Using the dream-like image of bright and dark streaks, Lucien slightly turned aside and pointed at it, “Many of you might be doubting your own eyes, or my alchemical device. If it’s the latter, you can feel free to check it later, but if it’s the former, I will tell you that you’re seeing exactly what you’re supposed to see!”
“If an electron only has wave properties, it would only go through one slit at a time, and thus we’ll see the two diffraction images simply overlapping. But the experiment has proved that it isn’t true. This is a standard, typical diffraction image, which means that an electron was either influenced by another of its peers from behind or the electron itself went through two slits at the same time and thus self-interference was achieved. Therefore, as a result, the image on the screen was produced.”
“No matter which one is the correct explanation, both of the possibilities have proved pure wave properties.”
Lucien’s voice was serious and solemn, and the pace of his talking was well-controlled. Those arcanists who were listening were going through veils of mysteries but they knew that they were approaching the sacred truth, despite its ambiguity.
“In fact, I have done further experiments. After reducing the power of the emitter, only one electron could be produced at a time, and the next electron would only be emitted after the one before it has gone through the two slits to rule out the possibility that there was interference between electrons. As I expected, after a while, the interferometric fringes were the same!”
“To be more precise, electrons are probability waves. They are everywhere in s.p.a.ce and can interfere with themselves and go through two slits at the same time!” Lucien announced.
Isabella and Samantha were totally shocked, as well as the many arcanists present. They did not know how to take it. Electrons had ma.s.s, electric charge and trace, but they could also be everywhere in s.p.a.ce! How was that possible?! Did electrons still belong to matter?
If electrons were still matter and they carried such properties, then what about human beings? Human beings consist of microscopic particles, then can human beings be everywhere in s.p.a.ce? If that was the case, then they should be able to get to Lance and Aalto at the same time in one step!
Microscopic domain was part of this world. Arcanists were for sure connecting the microscopic domain to the macro!
h.e.l.len stared at the image attentively, her fingers pressing against her cheek. She had fallen into deep thoughts. With some difficulties, the members of the Highest Council could accept the idea of an electronic cloud as they had seen Lucien’s experience and the Pathway of Immortality. Their heads were temporarily safe.
As for other arcanists, they did not even have an understanding of the microscopic domain deep enough to make their heads explode. They never tried to use any theories in the microscopic domain to construct their cognitive worlds, and thus their heads were also safe as well.
However, when the description of the electronic cloud came out, more than a hundred arcanists suffered. They could not imagine how electrons should exist in their cognitive worlds.
Their cognitive worlds had reached the limit. They could take no more.
“Electronic clouds do exist, but probability isn’t necessarily the most essential property…” Samantha murmured in a low voice in pain. If they were going to admit that probability was the intrinsic nature of an electron, they were to accept that probability was the intrinsic nature of the world. Then determinism would become largely problematic. She had to stick to a reason to secure the baseline.
However, she was also well aware of the fact that this kind of insistence would never help her reach legendary level, not even the archmage level!
Those arcanists from the school of astrology were also suffering. Fortunately, Lucien did not bring the experiment he just mentioned here today.
Lucien dropped his hand and looked around in the big cla.s.sroom. He said calmly, “Since the experiment that electrons are emitted one by one takes a long time, I am not going to show it to you. You may apply to the Atom Inst.i.tution for the permit of using the devices and conduct the experiment on your own.”
“If you want to skip the waiting line, you may also use the experiment on light inference as an a.n.a.logy. The device requirement is much lower, and you all are able to do the experiment in your own lab.”
Lucien then repeated the experiment in detail.
Then he concluded, “After a long period of time, you should be able to see the fringes. That means a single photon also has the property of interfering with itself.”
Some arcanists remained completely silent as they were afraid, while some were slightly trembling because of the great excitement.
At this time, Oliver asked, “Lucien, so far all of your theories are built on wave-particle duality. If it is only pure waves, then its particle properties are no more than wave packets, then neither double-slit experiment nor the self-interference feature is worth our surprise, as they both conform to wave properties. Also, I’ve got a question here: Under what circ.u.mstance can a quantum superposition state exist? Why doesn’t it apply to the macro-world?”
“Then why would your probability waves suddenly collapse into a certain spot when reaching the screen and lose its probability?” Oliver added.
His explanation made sense to those arcanists who followed wave theory. From this perspective, this experiment seemed to be less shocking and incredible.
Fernando responded before Lucien, “Oliver, if electrons and other microscopic particles are pure waves, why don’t they show wave properties? We are made up of those particles! Your question also involves how we transit our theory from microscopic domain to the macro. You don’t need me to remind you that waves do ‘die’ without the support of particle properties!”
Although Fernando did not totally agree with Lucien, he respected the power of mathematics and results of solid experiments.
Fernando’s response made many arcanists frown tight. When it came to the connection to the macro-world, the real trouble came.
Seeing that an intense debate was about to take place at any time, Lucien raised his hand and smiled, “In terms of double-slit experiment with electrons, I have another follow up experiment, an altered version, to show to you.”
What?! There were more experiments coming?
Lucien pointed at the alchemical device and said, “We can add a recording magic item to each slit to see whether it is one electron pa.s.sing through two slits at the same time or it is just one. I’ll set up different alarms so we can know whether it is through the slit on the right, on the left, or both.”
Lucien took out the magic items for recording and showed them around to have the arcanists present make sure that he did nothing to them.
When he was setting up the items, the arcanists present could not help discussing.
“Annick, so according to our teacher’s description, we’re supposed to expect that the two alarms will go on at the same time in different sounds, right?” Heidi asked Annick, who was rather talented in the microscopic domain.
Oliver cut in, “I don’t understand why Mr. Evans wants to do this. If both of the alarms go off at the same time, that means an electron can pa.s.s through two slits at the same time, and then pure wave properties will be proved, just as I said. If they don’t, the concept of self-interference that Mr. Evans just mentioned would become invalid…”
In other words, such an experiment would do no good to Mr. Evans!
Annick heard the discussion silently. After a while, he finally responded, “My guess is that only one alarm would go off. Mr. Evans is trying to verify the particle properties of electrons…”
“Then what about self-interference?” Layria asked. She had some feelings and started being very concerned.
Neither Annick nor Sprint made more comments. Both of them had turned to look at the device in the front, waiting for the result.
Lucien said to his audience and said in a soft tone, “I’ll slow down the speed of emitting so you can tell the alarms better.”
Then the patterns on the magic circle lit up. The different alarms both went off, but never together!
“So one slit at a time?” Heidi murmured, “…Then what about self-interference?”
At this time, someone gasped. Then many could not help asking aloud in great confusion, “Where are the interferometric fringes?!”
Heidi turned to look at the wall but was shocked to find that the light spots congregating were not forming any interferometric fringes that they saw earlier, but the properties of particles only!
Staring at the wall, Douglas’s eyes slightly opened wide, “The attempt to observe the particle properties of electrons made the wave properties disappear…?”
Just like how uncertainty principle described momentum and position…?
Oliver was slightly shaking his head. Somehow, it seemed that there was some dark air surrounding him.
Standing in the front, Lucien pointed at the experiment image with his right hand,
“When we are not observing, electrons are in the superposition state and this can be described using a model of electron cloud. However, when we want to see its wave properties and conduct an experiment for it, electrons will show us their pure wave properties and the feature of self-interference…”
“…When we want to see an electron’s particle properties, it will follow our wish and show us pure particle properties…”
“…Therefore, its state and nature depend on our observation, on what result we want!”
How creepy that was! The arcanists present were even more confused now! One’s observation can change the world?!
That was even more magical than magic!