I've just run across a review of a text on coherence in quantum mechanics.
I thought the opening paragraph of the (favorable) review is notable,
apropos of our earlier discussion about the so-called wave -particle
duality:
"Elementary particlessuch as photons, electrons, and neutrons inhabit a
quantum world, where they may exist in a superposition between two or more
locations at the same time. They can be entangled over large distances,
or several of their properties my be undefined. In our everyday world,
such properties are not evident -computers, cars and people are always at
well-defined locations. And the properties of one are independent of
what is done to another one at a distant location. Why do we not see
quantum phenomena in the macroscopic objects?
The book is: <Decoherence and the Quantum-to-Classical Transition"
by Maximillian Schlosshauer, Springer 2002 416 pp 64 Pounds (Brit).
The review is in Nature for 3 Jan '08 (I'm only a year behind
now), p, 18 (Vol 451).
Note that photons and electrons are lumped together in the
reviewers categories - so much for the so-called wave-particle duality.
Regards,
Jack
--
"Trust me. I have a lot of experience at this."
General Custer's unremembered message to his men,
just before leading them into the Little Big Horn Valley