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Schrodinger's kitten

A humane adaptation of Schrodinger's cat.
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(+6, -2)
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I have found on many occasions, when relating Schrodinger's cat experiment, that the demonstration of a principle of quantum physics is overshadowed by the listener's concern for the well-being of the cat. I find this is especially true when the listener is female.

In order to further human understanding of quantum physics, I give you Schrodinger's Kitten:

Two cats, a male and a female, are placed in the box. Once the box is closed, the female may or may not 'become' pregnant at any time, so the existence of a kitten may occur with the same implications for quantum physics as the death of the cat in the original experiment.

Because illustration by fluffy kitten is more acceptable than by dead cat.

Twizz, Nov 26 2009

[link]






       That waveform doesn't look too healthy, [UB]. I think it might have collapsed.
pertinax, Nov 26 2009
  

       #include <EOSSACR.H>   

       The feline gestation period is about 64 days for domestic cats.   

       Assuming the female cat is not pregnant (but is in season) when placed in the box, there may be other outcomes than the "kitten" one proposed.   

       1. One or both cats may die, either through starvation, suffocation, or of natural causes.   

       2. The male cat may attack and kill the kittens, if any.   

       3. The female cat may become pregnant but then have a miscarriage.   

       4. Someone may break into the lab in the night, unseal the box, install a radioactive source, detector, and vial of poison, seal up the box again and sneak out leaving no trace on their presence.   

       We dislike this idea as in the worst case it may actually lead to an increase in the cat population, whereas in the classical experiment at least there's a chance that the cat may be poisoned.   

       Also, some derive considerable gratification from explaining to young and impressionable females about Shrodinger's cat, causing them to have nightmares and possibly suffer long-term emotional trauma.
8th of 7, Nov 26 2009
  

       "Look, mom, they're entangled!"
jutta, Nov 26 2009
  

       I don't get it. You're now proposing that a whole family of cats are being potential subject to fatally poisonous gas? Whatever next? Schrodinger's 101 Dalmations?
And how does the Geiger counter instigate the cats getting 'jiggy'? I'm confused...
  

       Why not just replace the poisonous gas with laughing gas?   

       (btw, +)
Jinbish, Nov 26 2009
  

       I like the idea of sneaking into the lab and substituting an aardvark for the Happy Couple.
Which would go a long way to disproving the theory that aardvark never did anyone any harm.
  

       Bun for the idea, and [jutta]'s anno.
coprocephalous, Nov 26 2009
  

       "String 'em up !"
8th of 7, Nov 26 2009
  

       It's called "progress", [21Q].
8th of 7, Nov 26 2009
  

       Hydrogen cyanide, or cyanogen. It's volatile and reactive and disappears completely from the body in a few hours, leaving it safe to handle and eat.
8th of 7, Nov 26 2009
  

       damnit 8/7 there's a reason we don't spread this information around.
WcW, Nov 26 2009
  

       //damnit 8/7 there's a reason we don't spread this information around//   

       Oh boo hoo. Anyone that didn't know that Hydrogen cyanide was metabolised after death hasn't been paying enough attention.   

       Interesting thing about cyanogen. It's got the second hottest natural flame of any substance, at 4525 C. That's 8180 F, which is bloody hot.   

       //"Look, mom, they're entangled!"//   

       [takes hat off] [Jutta] that's probably the funniest comment I've seen on the 1/2 B yet.
Custardguts, Nov 26 2009
  

       I agree with the above sentiment.
Schrodinger's 'Naked women shopping for shoes with naughty monkeys' Thought experiment would be more like it.
gnomethang, Nov 28 2009
  

       // Succinylcholine //   

       Yes, but it's less readily accessible than cyanides, and rather slower acting, plus bigger doses are needed.
8th of 7, Nov 29 2009
  

       21Q: "there are reasons not to use it"   

       No shit - reasons like you could kill someone!   

       It now occurs to me that Schrodinger's Kitten is a thought experiment. sSince we have now all thought about it, it's been carried out and repeated. Does this mean the idea is baked?   

       Indeed, is any idea for a thought experiment baked before it's posted, because the poster must have carried out the thought experiment in order to articulate it?   

       Am I shooting myself in the foot.   

       Perhaps if I put my foot in the box and then shot randomly into the box.... no.
Twizz, Nov 30 2009
  

       //Schrodinger's 'Naked women shopping for shoes// Schrödinger's kitten heels?
pocmloc, Nov 30 2009
  

       //"Look, mom, they're entangled!"//   

       [Marked-For-Tagline]
neo_, Mar 23 2010
  

       Isn't a scenario where there are more than 2 possible outcomes better, given that there are more than 2 quantum states?   

       How about a pregnant cat which can have a set of living kittens.
marklar, Mar 25 2010
  

       Baked. The Schrodinger Kitten experiment has been tried extensively.   

       In the [[1991]] gulf war on Iraq, most Israelis were confined for long periods to a sealed room in there houses, following warnings of gas attacks by rockets (used formerly against Curds).   

       The result was a serious baby boom.
pashute, Oct 31 2012
  

       The 2012 Nobel in Physics just went for (not to) The Schrodinger Kitten. Look it up.
sqeaketh the wheel, Oct 31 2012
  
      
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