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Re: Parallel Universe



I'm not sure what you're trying to say, Jim. It seems odd to me that someone would explain interference patterns by postulating parallel universes. I don't want my students to ignore it, but I want to be able to provide meaningful discusion. In general, I prefer to teach "standard" theories. We have discussed many times in class the possibility that physics teachers 100 years from now will be teaching different theories as "standard." Today, the models we use are the ones that seem to make the most sense, in that they make predictions that we can test, and which seem to test "true" rather than false. It seems to me that the current "standard model" is one in which interference is explained by wave behavior rather than parallel universes, and I was simply asking for help when my kids want to know WHY the parallel universe model is not as useful a model. At least as far as we know, today. I have no problem with string theory being correct, but I also do not have any education in string theory (they didn't offer a course on that when I got my BA) and therefore can only give a superficial explanation of it when asked.

Don't worry, I'll be leaving this list again as soon as I get a bunch of people's responses through my head so I can think about them. I know you would rather not hear from me, by the way you always respond to my posts. I only re-joined to ask this question because I needed some constructive help. Thank you to those of you who have responded thoughtfully to my question.

-Fran Poodry
West Chester East High School
West Chester, PA



In a message dated 5/17/2004 1:15:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM> writes:

I hope someone can help me.  A student sent me this web site
<http://www.allsci.com/parallel.html>
and suggested that we do the activity in class (it is very simple and
involves poking holes in a card and shining a laser beam at the holes,
then observing
the interference pattern).  However, the web site claims that the observed
pattern is evidence for parallel universes.  I would like to be able to
explain
convincingly to my students that it is no such thing.

Oops. Not very good physics.  Just because it seems odd to _you_,why would
you teach our students to ignore anything that seems odd?   Suppose there
are parallel universes ie suppose string theory is right!


Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen