A theme:
something to do with the contrast between, and intersection of, the everyday
and the very weird. The fairly innocuous picture is in fact an example of
everyday weirdness (credit to Pablo Pardo for getting the picture).
The talk
will present some weird things from quantum physics, and how despite the
weirdness they nevertheless 'work' in everyday technologies. Lasers, for
example, rely on quantum effects that seem hard to comprehend. This'll be where
the Copenhagen Interpretation gets drawn in.
I will
discuss the philosophical ramifications of having technology that works, but on
a basis we can't understand -- logical, metaphysical, epistemological and
ethical ramifications.
Then we'll have a look at Schrodinger's
cat and how we can think about that and whether we can get to grips with it at
all.
