Negativity, in Science

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2 total messages Started by DonH Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:47

#903

Author: DonH
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:47

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In Mathematics, there are negative numbers, but are these relevant to 
Science?
   Science deals with what Exists (1), but non-existence (0) is not a 
negative, as such.
   If you have a bowl of fruit and take some fruit away, such departed 
entities may be negative re the bowl, but have only moved elsewhere.
   Anti-matter?  Is negative matter, or merely a different form of matter?
   Positive and negative electrodes?  A difference in potential?
   Time?  Back from the zero point is negative, or just time in a different 
"direction"?
   (Move the arbitrary starting point backwards, and all becomes positive?)
   Falsification and Verification?  A case of 0, and 1 ?
   Computers are binary: 0 and 1 (off, and on).

Re: Negativity, in Science

#904

Author: kym
Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2011 21:47

30 lines
2355 bytes

DonH <donlhumphries@bigpond.com> wrote:
> In Mathematics, there are negative numbers, but are these relevant to 
> Science?
...

In the "quantum" part of science there is such a thing as a "negative
probability". In "normal" probability theory (or practice, even)
when you ask about the probability of X or Y occuring, where X and Y
can not occur together, the practice is (obviosly) to add the 2
probabilities pr(X)+pr(Y).

In the quantum world it is quite possible to find that the
probability of X or Y (where X and Y can not occur together) to
be pr(X) - pr(Y).

To "see" the effect of negative probabilities at work just look
at a diffraction pattern made by light going through a pair of
closely-spaced parallel slits. (Even looking at the light between
your closely-spaced thumb and index finger from a very close
distance can give the same kind of effect; provided you can see
well enough close up).

This works down to a stream of single photons, where normally
we'd expect each  photon to go through one slit or the other
but not both.

-- 
Pseudo-scientists use randomness to obfuscate the relationship 
between theory and observation. 
-- BONZO@27-32-240-172 [pseudo-scientist & daily nymshifter], 26 Aug 2011 10:35 +1000

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