The math is describing reality - but that’s why I highlighted that the math predicted it long before there was experimental evidence.

From what we know about the quantum realm (my physics professor liked using that description, as if it’s a whole different existence), it appears that it’s actually the opposite: reality is obeying the math. Consider how wild that is - particle interactions are doing what they do because of how mathematics works. Something that we humans came up with to describe observations.

So the way I “understood” the spin-statistics theorem is that it’s basically this:

A given particle with a given intrinsic spin has a direct relationship to a collection of the same particles as a consequence of quantum math. Yeah. Just “it’s related.”

Proving that math is really freaking difficult and you need to use relativistic quantum field theory. I think it was Richard Feynman who said “We apologize for the fact that we cannot give you an elementary explanation.”

Actually when I graduated there was another professor (can’t remember his name) who was discussing his frustration with how they still can’t explain it without all of QFT steps.

Basically, this is where the shared attitude of “the more you know about quantum physics, the more confusing it becomes.”

It’s a lot more complicated than that even.

Pauli Exclusion Principal is that two or more identical particles of half integer spin cannot occupy the same quantum state. So two electrons in an orbital must be made of a +1/2 and -1/2 spin. This is evidenced by observation, but the prediction was made long before that.

This is because the total wave function for fermions is antisymmetric (bosons, like the photon, are symmetric). It’s sort of hard to describe how this works without paper and pen, but essentially there is different formula of solving a wave function. A symmetric wave function is a sum, and an antisymmetric wave function is a difference. The issue arises when you have two identical particles - symmetric functions can be any state as it results in a solution >0. If you have an assymetric function of two identical particles, the result is 0, which isn’t a valid state.

The very uncomfortable part of physics is here: when we ask “why” the answer based on the math and the observation is quite literally “because that is the way math works.” It’s fundamental - just like x * 0 = 0.

With the exact same number of weapons and ammo. Stuff ain’t cheap or easy to come by, plus they can use rocks.

He still thinks a trade deficit is bad.

Goddamn

Man, Mao’s policies got so many people killed that “only” 3-4m people died of famine.

He’s got an incredible kill count.

That’s one thing I appreciate about Lemmy. Without a doubt you are all people of logic.