Today, I feel a little like the Ancient One explaining spellwork to Doctor Strange. I love that scene. It’s the essence of today’s post, one that sprang from a very interesting article that I never expected to see. I’m, of course, talking about mind over matter.
Anyone who has ever encountered quantum theory in their work knows, at least tangentially, about the Bell Test. It’s used to measure quantum particles and see if the measurement of one particle coincides with the other particle. Einstein called it the spooky theory.
Recently, theoretical physicist Lucien Hardy came up with the idea to have humans measure the particles, instead of machines. Why, one asks. Hardy wants to see if humans can violate quantum theory, and in doing so, prove that the human mind is outside of standard physics.
A successful test brings up a huge host of possibilities. The biggest of which, and in reference to Doctor Strange, is mind over matter could be more than just a fancy affirmation in self help books or the providence of mystics. Because honestly, it’s not a big step to passive observation that changes quantum outcomes to actively changing outcomes on a quantum level.
And this piece of science can be utilized in a bunch of ways. New methods for Sci-Fi hackers in crime novels or mysteries. Bigger and more insidious ways for Big Brother to watch the citizenry. Use in AI construction to add more life, to reference one of my favorite character types.
I think, though, this bit of science would be best used in the realm of Magical Realism. Oh yes. Witches and Voodoo Priestesses using sympathetic magic to affect the world. Sorcerers roaming the streets after years of training themselves to operate at the quantum level. Villains trying to destroy the world at the qubit level.
This will be so much fun.
– T.A. Creech
Science in the pursuit of Fiction.