Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Political quantum super-position

In quantum mechanics one quickly runs into a frequent concept which is virtually non-existent to human beings on their daily macroscopic level. This is the idea of superposition, an entity having 2 separate and distinct states which it can occasionally be in both of or a little bit each of simultaneously. Such a foreign idea is even difficult to write about! but it does commonly happen below the nanoscopic level of atoms, electrons, photons, etc.

Interestingly the same thing does occasionally manifest in larger scale complexes of coherent particle collections.

The current "close race" for congress has me thinking of this complex coherent and uncertain behavior. The future of America's political construct is up in the air and somewhat fluid at the moment. A blending or momentary superposition of all it's possible states.

The superposition state at the atomic level is very fragile however and so too shall be this effulgence of democracy. As the votes are coming in the equillibrium of possibilities shift and prepare to collapse towards a single reality. We all wait with baited breath for the outcome. Will it be corrupted by noise? Will it hover in a long state of uncertainty? Will "The Daily Show" once more be the only correct predictor of our indecision? I can feel the sizzle of probabilities eating at my expectations.

1 comment:

Rae Ann said...

While visiting my friends in NC we watched the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know?" which is all about that quantum stuff. But it gets too silly with it, trying to say that we have more control over our choices than we actually do. I mean, I understand it's just a movie and taking creative liberties and all that, but it was way too anthropically oriented for my taste. It wasn't terrible, though, because I could relate to some of the emotional themes that were examined.

I think a lot of people are fed up with both parties. Maybe Joe Lieberman will be a true Independent and others will follow his example.