h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A203239

Quantum Physics put simply. I don't want to say too much about the page, because I wrote it and so I'm a biased opinion. But any feedback would be gratefully received.

*blows out cheeks and exhales slowly*

I know a little bit about Quantum Physics, but it's not fresh enough to seriously argue science with you - you might like to call on the services of someone like Joanna (http://www.h2g2.com/U106694), who has more recent teaching on the suject than I, and who's always happy to help.

First thing: put the title of the piece in your forum title and people will jump at it. There's a *lot* of physicists round here.

Second thing: Quantum Physics is simply *huge* as a subject. You've mentioned two or three implications, two or three key figures, but to cover even 5% of everything under that title is a *major* undertaking. Probably a University project at least. You may be biting off too much...

Third thing: there is a significant (but not total) overlap with http://www.h2g2.com/A260506, Physics and the Knowledge of Ignorance, which may make it more difficult to get approved.

All that put aside: I'd rate it a bold try, but defining this stuff for the "common man" is really really difficult. I think I lost what you were trying to prove (and how) in your description of the polarisation experiment. I think you run the risk of the reader thinking only photons are quantised.

I also think you're slightly confused over "quantum v classical" information - the colour (wavelength) of a photon *is* determined: to equate "quantum" with "unknown" is like saying the length of my house is "quantum" because I haven't measured it. I don't believe it, sorry.

Like I say, what you tried to do was really hard - most physics lecturers can't so it! If you want to persevere with it, get a group of keen physicists from the site together and have a team go at it, but you'll really need to nail it down with some clever examples.
Good luck!

GVI

http://www.h2g2.com/A475049
2. Make sure the subject contains the entry title.

That cut-and-pasted...

I think you should say beam-splitter(footnote: something like a semi-silvered mirror which reflects sometimes and lets light pass through other times), rather than mirror(beam-splitter).

What is EPR?

There are a few comments which I wasn't sure of the accuracy, but it's been a while, so I'll let others do that. I think it's a reasonable attempt, certainly. Nicely structured so far, too.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review Sin Bin' to 'Quantum Physics'.

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