“The Good Stuff” about Quanta and Fields with Sean Carroll
Inquiring Minds
Two Levels of Fieldiness
Quote: "If the world were not made of fields, if it were made of particles, but it was governed by the rules of quantum mechanics, there would be something called the wave function."
- There are two levels of "fieldiness" in quantum field theory. Even if the world were made of particles, quantum mechanics dictates wave-like properties, like those seen in electrons within atoms.
- However, a quantum theory of particles alone doesn't account for particle creation and destruction (e.g., radioactivity, photon production).
- The best explanation is that the world starts with fields, which are then "quantized," meaning they develop a wave function, a concept that goes against everyday intuition.
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