Quantum Suicide and The Large Hadron Collider

Cosmology Metaphysics Philosophy Physics Science
Stern-Gerlach Experiment


Electron Spin

Electrons have a property called spin that may be measured in relation to an arbitrary axis. The name is somewhat misleading. It’s not quite the same concept as a ball rotating around an axis but there are some useful similarities. Since an electron has an electric charge, its spin causes it to interact with a magnetic field, deflecting the electron’s path in a manner similar to the way a charged sphere’s course would be altered. An electron can have its spin measured by passing it through a magnetic field. If electrons were truly spinning spheres, a beam of electrons would spread out smoothly when passed through a shaped magnetic field since each rotating sphere would take on an arbitrary spin alignment.

However, what is actually observed is amazing and counter-intuitive. The 1922 Stern-Gerlach experiment showed that spin is quantized and only two values are observed – denoted up and down.

Standard Interpretation



Quantum Suicide; Many Worlds
iStockphoto / Sirin Buse.

Quantum Suicide

However, in the Many-Worlds interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, two different worlds exist – one in which the cat remains alive, and another in which the cat has perished.



While the LHC’s troubles are more likely explained by mundane problems, the idea behind the Quantum Suicide thought experiment is still an intriguing one.

5 thoughts on “Quantum Suicide and The Large Hadron Collider

  1. There is also a simple interpretation of quantum mechanics that Dr. Einstein favored and has recently begun to gain popularity. This is Dr. Einstein’s deterministic belief that “god does not play dice”.[1]
    In Dr. Einstein’s simple common sense model Schrödinger’s Cat is either dead or alive and when you open the box you find out. Nothing weird. This is the model where entangled particles are just exact copies, clones, nothing traveling faster than light, nothing spooky. This is the model that does not confuse physicists and the general public and wins Occam’s razor (simplest solution) and has experiments planned to attempt to prove superiority predicting empirical outcomes. This theory is called Bohmian Mechanics.[1]
    If Dr. Einstein was correct then micro black holes would be stable, what is unknown is how quickly they would grow[2] or otherwise how safety they might be based on other assumptions.[3]
    [1] http://space.newscientist.com/article/mg19726485.700 Quantum randomness may not be random, NewScientist magazine, 22 March 2008
    [2] http://www.wissensnavigator.com/documents/spiritualottoeroessler.pdf A Rational and Moral and Spiritual Dilemma – Otto E. Rössler (2008)
    [3] http://arxiv.org/abs/0808.1415v2 On the potential catastrophic risk from metastable quantum-black holes produced at particle colliders, Dr. Habil. Rainer Plaga (26 Sep 2008)

  2. Fascinating. I’ve spent my Sunday afternoon reading about Bohmian Mechanics. What an intriguing subject, and one that I now plan to investigate further. Thanks for the links and the explanations, they are very informative and appreciated.

  3. Here`s a simple way to cause complete consternation in the scientific community, find someone who`s just won the jackpot on the lottery, (the UK main draw has odds of 14 million to 1) and get them to state publicly, when they collect their winnings, that “The Copenhagen Interpretation is wrong.”
    That would light a fire under a few physicists arses, using just five words.

  4. it’s an unprovable theory, much like the existence of god and is, therefore, worthless.
    the only reality worth believing in is a provable one…even if it’s incomplete and full of unanswered questions.

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