Spren And The Quantum Zeno Effect

[Nighthawk]

So in WoK, there are those two ardents in the the eighth interlude (Geranid). The one is studying Spren and discovers that if you measure a spren, and record your measurements, it locks it somehow. Size, shape, luminosity. I assume this had to do with the cognitive realm and I'm sure there's already somewhere on these forums about how recording it sets a law in Shadesmar or something.

 

BUT! This isn't about that so much as it's about the similarity to the real-life scientific phenomenon called the Quantum Zeno Effect - or Turing's Paradox - where if you measure or observe an unstable particle enough times, it will stop decaying like it should. You can lock an unstable particle of Uranium by measuring it or watching it. Thought it was an interesting similarity and I didn't see it pointed out anywhere else here.

 

Btw this is my first post here so yeah... Just thought it was worth mentioning. Don't know if it means anything... 

[natc]

Well investiture goes about physics-defying in a very mechanically defined manner. To the point of being scientifically analyzable. It's bound to take inspiration from physics at some point.

Edited February 24, 2015 by natc

[name_here]

It's come up before, yeah, though the standard quantum comparison was the double-slit experiment with particle-wave duality. As I've pointed out, in quantum physics it's measurement that does that and for spren it's recording the measurement that does that.

[Patrick Star]

The universe breaks its own rules all the time, depending on if it's being watched. Kind of like me.

[Rade]

On a semi-related note that should probably go in the "Possible Spren" topic, or w/e it is called, what would happen if you had a Spren of Quantumness? O_o (Like a firespren or windspren, but a quantumspren. Would it exist in different ways if you looked at it and looked back? If you reached behind you (and it had a physical feeling) could it exist in both places at once? Etc.)