Waching daily Sep 1 2017

The word quantum appears very often in both cinematic and written media.

But what does this word really stand for? Analyzing certain experiments would be a

common way to approach this question.

However, the word 'quantum' can also be explained by looking

at the many differences between quantum and classical physics.

Here, we consider four big ways quantum physics and classical physics are different.

Suppose we put a classical ping-pong ball in the box and give it a good shake.

Now, if we know everything about the ball, its initial state and all the

forces acting on it during the shaking,

we can, in principle predict definitely where the ball ended up.

However, this is not so for quantum physics.

If you put a quantum ping-pong ball in a quantum box

and shake it, no matter how much we know about the system,

we cannot predict for sure where the ball will be.

This is because the system is "intrinsically random".

Does this mean that we cannot predict anything about the system at all?

Well, fortunately, we still can.

We can find out the chances of the ball appearing at some part of the box.

Unlike the classical ping pong ball which we know is a distinct object in the box,

we can only know a "distribution of probabilities"

of where the quantum ping-pong ball is going to be.

This spread is described by something called the wavefunction.

When we decide to make a measurement of its position,

the very act of measuring 'collapses' this wavefunction.

The ball is then known to be at a certain place in the box

There is also an important difference in finding

average values in these two levels of physics.

For the classical ping pong ball,

we take the average by repeatedly opening the box and measuring the ball's position.

It's not as if we need to shake the box in the exact same way again

to get another position value for the average value.

But this is kind of what happens in the quantum ball.

Recall that the act of measuring "collapses the wavefunction",

This means that a measurement has already changed the system.

It's like we have a whole different ball now.

Hence, we must be re-prepare a system in the original state.

Same kind of ball, same kind of box, but different balls and boxes nonetheless.

So unlike the classical analogy, the quantum analogy would have us shake the

box in the exact same way all over again, in order to get that average value we need.

Finally, quantum and classical physics are different in terms of what sorts of

energies are possible. What does this mean?

Consider the classical ping pong again.

It can move at any speed and, hence, take any value for the energy.

But, this is once again, not the case for the quantum ball in the box.

With some math, it can be shown the wavefunction

that describes the energies is composed of sines and cosines.

And because the probability of the ball being in the regions outside of the box is zero,

the wavefunction in the corresponding regions are also zero.

Now, one important rule in quantum physics is that wavefunctions must always be "continuous".

What this basically means is that, we keep only the sine waves here.

This may sound pretty abstract but it has an important implication:

Quantum balls, can only take certain energies.

Unlike the classical ping pong, the quantum ping pong

cannot take any energy, but can only take certain, specific energy values.

and this is what physicists call the "quantization of energy",

which puts the "quantum" in quantum physics.

With that said, we see four things that makes quantum, quantum.

For more infomation >> What is Quantum? NUS PC3130 PROJECT - Duration: 3:46.

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Unevenness under foot is absorbed by the sole - Duration: 5:13.

Hans-Peter Schmid loves being out and about in his native Zurich.

Despite being completely blind from young age, he

can certainly speed along –

accompanied by his labrador, Pat.

For their daily walks together, Hans-Peter normally

wears his kyBoot air-cushion shoes.

The kyBoot has many benefits

including those that can be enjoyed by everyone else too –

fully sighted or not.

The kyBoot is wonderfully soft when walking and it absorbs impacts and vibrations.

One benefit that I've come across is that when I step

awkwardly on uneven ground the kyBoot sole absorbs the impact.

You don't go over on your ankle like you definitely would

with a conventional, hard sole. Instead,

unevenness under foot such as a stone or tree root

is simply absorbed or taken in by the sole

and I can walk over it as if there were nothing on the ground.

The first time that Hans-Peter became aware of the kyBoot

was a few years ago at his local pharmacy.

Two years ago he then visited the kyBoot shop in Zurich for some advice.

I was also given a cross-section of a sole to hold so that

I could feel the different layers with my fingers

to get an idea of what the sole looked like.

At that point, I had my doubts.

I wondered whether I could even walk in these shoes.

The information that I take in from the ground

through my feet is really important for me.

Because I can't see the floor or any uneven ground

I have to be able to feel what's under foot through

my feet so that I can hold the rest of my body correctly.

I was worried that the sole would be too effective and suppress this sensation,

preventing me from getting my information from the ground.

The shop assistant suggested that I try the shoes for two weeks, saying that

I would have to try them out myself to find out exactly what's what.

I was absolutely amazed right from the beginning

that it worked and how effective it was.

When I step on a stone or uneven ground, I can still feel it despite

the absorption in the sole that evens it out.

Hans-Peter Schmid now almost always has

his kyBoot shoes on for these long walks.

The first thing I noticed was the real feeling of comfort.

The second was my arthritis in my big toe joint – a souvenir from my sporting days –

that sometimes hurts when I'm walking,

if I'm wearing normal shoes.

I'm out and about on foot a lot and I love being active.

When I was wearing the kyBoot shoes I thought

wow, it also eases the arthritis in my big toe joint.

The pain was hugely reduced, almost to the point that it disappeared.

That's when I knew it would be a good idea to have these shoes.

The effect of the flexible sole

keeps surprising Hans-Peter Schmid.

For example, after one particular sporting challenge

in normal running shoes.

Last autumn after a half-marathon

I developed severe muscle stiffness and also tendonitis.

I was in quite a lot of pain when I walked.

The amount of pain was significantly reduced and that's largely down to the kyBoot.

If I ever had to wear normal shoes it was very uncomfortable.

I was desperate for my kyBoot shoes.

You really have to try them out and feel it for yourself

to know what I'm talking about.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can offset and reduce

pain in the musculoskeletal system.

You always read about it and you know that it's possible,

but when you're affected by it yourself it's a real eureka moment.

That's why Hans-Peter Schmid

recommends that everyone should experience the effect of the air-cushion sole for themselves.

Then everyone can see for themselves whether the investment of around 300 Swiss francs is worth it.

The price tag is by no means cheap but what I can experience

and feel in these shoes I haven't found anywhere else.

Either you make the investment and experience the joy of comfortable walking

or simply miss out.

Hans-Peter Schmid certainly enjoys the special feeling that they give and

will cover many more miles to come in his kyBoot shoes with his trusty companion, Pat.