From: "Anthony Crifasi" <crifasi-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Shooting at Slits (rather than Iraqis.)
Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 15:28:11 +0000


GEVANS613-AT-aol.com wrote:

>Could it be that the apparent chaotic behaviour of the electrons in these
>experiments, and the ostensibly random  or unpredictable passage through 
>one
>slit or the other, is not because of some mysterious cosmic randomness, or 
>a
>significant abberation in the "laws" of physics, but simply because
>individual electrons [like individual bullets] behave individually 
>depending
>upon their separate particularities, coefficients of expansion, their spin
>differentials, the effects of gravitation, and the concomitant distortional
>effects imparted by the electron-gun, [like the rifle barrel] upon the
>ballistical behavioural differences that flow from the  existential
>differentiation and contrasting modalities of the individual electrons
>themselves?
>
>I would very much appreciate any comments from others on the list more
>skilled in matters scientific on this matter.

As a former theoretical physics major, I believe I qualify. To explain the 
mysterious nature of the double slit experiment, let me describe it. If you 
shoot a stream of electrons through a barrior with one slit in it, the 
electron impact pattern the other side (after going through the slit) will 
look very "normal," like shooting a stream of bullets through a single hole. 
The impact pattern will be very dense at one point (i.e., directly behind 
the slit), and gradually spread out the farther away from that spot you go, 
just like if you shoot a stream of bullets (with decent aim) at a target, 
the impact pattern will be more dense at the target spot, and gradually 
become more spread out and less dense the farther away from that spot you 
get.

Now, when you add a SECOND hole to the barrior and shoot a stream of 
electrons so that they can go through both holes instead of just one, the 
impact pattern you get on the opposite side becomes a wave interference 
pattern, as if the electrons going through one hole came out and 
"interfering" or "knocked with" the electrons coming out of the other hole, 
before finally impacting. So instead of the single spray pattern described 
earlier with one hole, you get certain areas in the final impact pattern 
where no electrons hit, and other spots where they do hit: a wave 
interference pattern. It is called a wave interference pattern because the 
pattern is exactly the same as that of two circular wavefronts (e.g., of 
water) hitting each other, causing a pattern of crests and troughs on some 
barrior. Picture dipping two fingers in water at once, creating two 
expanding circular wavefronts which eventually meet each other, and 
interfere with each other where they meet. So there's nothing really 
mysterious about this yet, since the wave interference pattern caused by the 
electron stream going through two holes can be explained by the electrons 
going through one hole emerging and "interfering" with the electrons going 
through the other hole before finally impacting on the final barrior.

Now, let's repeat the above with only ONE electron at a time, instead of a 
stream (electron guns can be slowed down to that extent). Open only one slit 
for them to go through. What's the impact pattern you expect after many 
single shots? The first pattern - one dense spot directly behind the slit, 
gradually spreading out the farther away from that spot you get. That's what 
you get. Everything's normal, right? Now, open TWO slits and allow only one 
electron at a time through, and the mystery begins. What's the pattern you 
expect? After all, there is only one electron emitted at a time, so there 
are not electrons going through both holes emerging and interfering with 
each other before impact, so you wouldn't expect an interference pattern at 
impact. So you would expect the first pattern behind each slit - one dense 
spot behind each slit, gradually spreading out the farther away from each 
spot you get. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU GET. You get the wave interference 
pattern, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NOT MORE THAN ONE ELECTRON EMITTED AT ANY 
TIME, and therefore no "interference," since that would require one electron 
interfering with another one.

That's why the two-slit impact pattern cannot be explained through any 
normal notion of interference, since interference is by definition 
interference on one thing by another, so you would need at least two 
electrons, or at least you would need something affecting the electron gun. 
But there are not two electrons at any time (since only one is emitted at a 
time), nor is anything affect the electron gun because ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS 
OPEN TWO HOLES IN THE BARRIOR, without even touching the gun. That is why it 
is mysterious and cannot be explained by previous physical principles, and 
is indeed quite mysterious.

Anthony Crifasi

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