Brewster Rockit by Tim Rickard for May 07, 2023

What? No spleen-based exclamation?

So Nietzsche’s cat is alive AND Schrodinger’s cat is dead. How do you explain that with quantum physics?

“Beware in the presence of cats: they never give, they do not even retaliate — they only reply, and purr in doing so.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

Real cats do not think highly of Schrödinger or his thoughts.

Winky’s spleen will be stronger.

The Schrödinger’s cat paradox isn’t so tough. Just wait a week – without having to open the box, all ambiguity will be resolved.

One cat (and Winky) were harmed in the making of today’s cartoon.

Eh he look like Catfield. Just give him lasagna and he happily leave you alone.

Paradox; Nietzsche’s cat alive, Winky shredded

Until it was opened, Heisenberg wasn’t at all certain there would actually be a cat in the box.

Schrödinger was basically ripping off Protagoras of Abdera – “Man is the measure of all things” (πάντων χρημάτων ἄνθρωπον μέτρον εἶναι). Which is to say a room is neither hot nor cold until someone comes in and says, “This room is too hot,” a second comes in and says, “This room is too cold.” And the husband and wife then fight for hours.

Philosophy comes alive. Much to Binky’s regret.

The cat is either alive or dead regardless of the whether the box is open or closed. What you believe about it has no bearing on its condition.

People! It’s not a paradox, it’s not a philosophy, it’s not a “Frame Of Reference”. This is how Quantum Math works. All possible quantum state fields exist simultaneously until an observation causes the quantum states to collapse into the observed reality.

Schrödinger was trying to show how silly was this new-fangled “Quantum Mechanico-whosis” (invented with HIS math, BTW). And, the response was “Yes! that’s exactly right! You understand it!”

One less cat. There.

Cats are ALWAYS indeterminate. Never there when you need them, always there when there is tuna.

What about the radioactive vial and the poison? Dr. Mel didn’t mention those. Maybe they both exist and don’t exist??

Imagine how strong it would be if they almost killed it.

I’m glad someone finally explained that to me, I think.

I used Pixel as my Cat in this experiment, and when the box was opened, NO Cat. What we found was that Pixel can walk through walls. I don’t think Pixel understands quantum physics or physics at all. So he just walked out.

Where would Dr. Mel’s prestige and knowledge be without his faithful assistant?

Well, Winky’s dead for sure. That much we know. At least until the next comic.

Still better than Ayn Rand’s cat!

I’ve seen it summarized sometimes as neither alive nor dead and sometimes as both. I’d sooner accept the former, because the cat better not be undead.

You do not actually have to open the box to observe what’s inside. A sufficiently sensitive microphone would let you know. It would pick up breathing sounds or heart beat or gastric sounds. That’s another way of observing.

It’s a silly thought experiment — the cat knows whether it’s alive or dead, and that’s enough to prevent it from being simply a cloud of possibilities.

when i quoted Nietzche to my wife she said, “nietzche nietzche, well something killed him”

From the nurse: “About your cat, Mr. Schrodinger, I have good news and bad news.”

If a kid who grows up in a military family is an army brat, does that make a kid who grows up in a scientific setting a lab brat?

Is this a tribute to Bullwinkle J. Moose? “Hey, Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat!” “Again?” “This time for sure! Presto!” “RAAAARGH!” “Guess I don’t know my own strength!”

I think Dr. Mel got this wrong. He said the cat is “neither alive nor dead,” but my limited understanding is that it is BOTH alive AND dead.

The cat is a 2-state system. Therefore the cat must be a furr-meown (fermion).