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I don’t understand quantum physics (mander.xyz)

submitted 4 months ago by BB84@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] copd@lemmy.world 46 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

This implies the majority of people believe they understand quantum mechanics, which I'm sure is not true. In reality, the overwhelming majority of people would say they don't understand quantum physics.

Bell curve is the wrong meme format for what you're trying to convey

[-] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 24 points 4 months ago

I misread and thought top guy was also saying he didn't understand quantum physics, and thought it was a way better meme than it was.

[-] someacnt_@lemmy.world 9 points 4 months ago

Make it and post it!

[-] sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 15 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Probably the bell curve of physics students, and not just of all people on Earth.

[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 4 points 4 months ago

It's a meme. Memes change meaning over time and can detach from the original/ literal meaning.
Even when taken literal, you don't know the group of people in the plot. It's obviously not every single person on earth since where are those who don't even know about quantum physics. It might include students, interested lay people, .... It's bad science not to include that but it's against just a meme. You don't even know the y axis. It might be confidence and not the number of people

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 7 points 4 months ago

This meme is bullshit.

[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 2 points 4 months ago

Thanks for clarification!

[-] bunchberry@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Yes, there are a lot of intuitive understandings in the literature if you're willing to look for it. The problem is that most people believe in a Newtonian view of the world which just is not compatible with quantum physics, so it requires you to alter some philosophical beliefs, and physics professors don't really want to get into philosophical arguments, so it's not really possible to reach a consensus on the question in physics departments. Even worse, there's rarely a consensus on anything if you go to the philosophy department. So it's not really that there are not very simple and intuitive ways to understand quantum mechanics, it's that it's not possible to get people to agree upon a way to interpret it, so there is a mentality to just avoid interpretation at all so that students don't get distracted from actually understanding the math.