"Schrödinger's Cat" is a thought experiment created by a dazzlingly bored mind (at least that's how I imagine it) to prove an observer is required to know the actual state of something--in this case, whether or not a cat is alive. The setup is simple: a closed box, a healthy cat, and a flask of poison attached to a hammer (in such a way to absolutely ensure the hammer would break the flask). The question he proposed was simply, "Is the cat alive or dead?" The implication being that the aliveness of the cat cannot be determined until the box is opened and the cat observed.
I raise this point because we face a lot of uncertainties in life which are only problems when we get philosophical about it. "Does a tree falling in a forest make a sound, if nobody is around to hear it?" Of course it does. Is Schrödinger's cat dead? Yup, as a door nail. Checking only verifies the fact. We make these questions hard by thinking too deeply about them. Ask any child, and you'll get the simple truths. Many considered and tough questions are answered just as easily.
My favorite riddle is this old classic: "What can you sit on, sleep on, and brush your teeth with?"
* * * * *
"A chair, a bed, and a toothbrush."
Before you fry your brain with impossible complexities, try slouching back and seeking the easiest solution. Even a spaceship needs a simple push--though it's a mind-boggling sequence of controlled explosions doing it. Life is so much better when we stop doing everything the hard way. Just don't go flying rockets with helium and good wishes, because that won't work.
- M
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