Wave-particle duality leading to an advent of quantum mechanics in 300 BCE (300-201 year BC), sounds absurd does it not ? But take a look at this picture, the ‘Yin-Yang’ and you could give it another thought.
A (non) BRIEF HISTORY :
The Yin –Yang was one of the most intriguing and influential symbols, first found records of existing in the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD). The sole reason behind the mysticism and the intrigue surrounding it is the many possible interpretations that it has in the Chinese philosophy. In Taoist philosophy, the shade and light (☯) yin and yang, arrives in the dàodéjīng. It is impossible to talk about yin or yang without some reference of the opposite; since yin and yang are bound together as parts of a mutual whole (i.e. you cannot have the back of a hand without the front)...
We all might know about the principles behind the whole symbol as it “represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen in a dynamic system...
While "yin" would be dark, passive, downward, cold, contracting, and weak, "yang" would be bright, active, upward, hot, expanding, and strong.
The shape of the yin and yang sections of the symbol, actually gives you a sense of the continual movement of these two energies, yin to yang and yang to yin, causing everything to happen: just as things expand and contract, and temperature changes from hot to cold.”
We all might know about the principles behind the whole symbol as it “represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen in a dynamic system...
While "yin" would be dark, passive, downward, cold, contracting, and weak, "yang" would be bright, active, upward, hot, expanding, and strong.
The shape of the yin and yang sections of the symbol, actually gives you a sense of the continual movement of these two energies, yin to yang and yang to yin, causing everything to happen: just as things expand and contract, and temperature changes from hot to cold.”
They therefore define how the polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces and energies are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only exist in relation to each other.
In the so-called yin-yang wuxing teaching , which was considered an “early Chinese attempt in the direction of working out metaphysics and a cosmology” (Chan 1963: 245)
In the so-called yin-yang wuxing teaching , which was considered an “early Chinese attempt in the direction of working out metaphysics and a cosmology” (Chan 1963: 245)
Now this yin-yang- favoured explanation claims to illuminate natural phenomena, to what extent is what surprises me, maybe from cosmology to quantum mechanics all answers hidden within this unassumingly artful symbol ?
So now that we understand the origin of the yin-yang and the whole purpose of its creation. We could digress a little further.
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| How many analogies are there ? |
THE WAVE-PARTICLE DUALITY:
Wave–particle duality in its essence means that every particle exhibits both wave and particle nature. In terms of its observable properties. The crux of the concepts behind the entire quantum mechanical theory.
Meanwhile this duality also points out the incapability of classical concepts of ‘particle’ and ‘wave’ to fully describe the behavior of quantum-scale objects. There are many interpretations to the understating of this paradox but yet it is accepted as a fundamental property of the Universe.
Wave–particle duality in its essence means that every particle exhibits both wave and particle nature. In terms of its observable properties. The crux of the concepts behind the entire quantum mechanical theory.
Meanwhile this duality also points out the incapability of classical concepts of ‘particle’ and ‘wave’ to fully describe the behavior of quantum-scale objects. There are many interpretations to the understating of this paradox but yet it is accepted as a fundamental property of the Universe.
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| Electron Interference experiment : Wave functions of electrons superimpose to give an interference pattern. |
Present accepted scientific theory holds that all particles also have a wave nature (and vice versa). This phenomenon has been verified not only for elementary particles, but also for compound particles like atoms and even molecules. For interference experiments including fullerenes and c-60 molecules as shown in the above figure.
Since every particle now has wave nature and every macro object consists of these quantum-scale objects, the same should be exhibited as wave nature of these macro objects. Therefore carrying this interpretation we could simply say that Louis-Victor de Broglie in 1924, extrapolated it further and formulated the de Broglie hypothesis, claiming that all matter and not just light, has a wave-like nature. He related wavelength (denoted as λ), and momentum (denoted as p) given in the equation:
λ = h /p
This having being proved time and again through experiments.
λ = h /p
This having being proved time and again through experiments.
THE STRIKING CORRELATION:
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| Yin-Yang |
One look at the yin-yang and you could see the corpuscular quantum 'particle' and it being embedded in a wave sort of character.
From the above interpretation of the data and a single look at the image we could derive that the particles namely the white dot in the black region and the black dot in the white region are clearly embedded in complementary coloured waves. Both particles being represented by their respectively coloured waves on the opposite side and they themselves stuck in the complementarily coloured wave. This is nothing but a distinctly clear representation of wave-particle duality.
To go on a little further we know that for particles their wave functions exists and a superposition of these wave functions can occur, just as it occurs in the interference experiments to give the interference patterns on the screen a shown above. This symbol has a similar depiction of the superposition of the two complementarily coloured waves as shown where the two waves merge into each other.
From the above interpretation of the data and a single look at the image we could derive that the particles namely the white dot in the black region and the black dot in the white region are clearly embedded in complementary coloured waves. Both particles being represented by their respectively coloured waves on the opposite side and they themselves stuck in the complementarily coloured wave. This is nothing but a distinctly clear representation of wave-particle duality.
To go on a little further we know that for particles their wave functions exists and a superposition of these wave functions can occur, just as it occurs in the interference experiments to give the interference patterns on the screen a shown above. This symbol has a similar depiction of the superposition of the two complementarily coloured waves as shown where the two waves merge into each other.
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To know how much the Chinese were aware about the wave-particle duality depicted in the yin-yang is difficult to justify or comprehend as it is mentioned, that the Han dynasty chronicle “Shiji (Records of the Historian) lists Zou Yan (305-240 BCE) “as a representative of the yin-yang school who possessed a profound knowledge of the theory of yin-yang and wrote about a hundred thousand words on it.
However, none of his works have survived...
To know how much the Chinese were aware about the wave-particle duality depicted in the yin-yang is difficult to justify or comprehend as it is mentioned, that the Han dynasty chronicle “Shiji (Records of the Historian) lists Zou Yan (305-240 BCE) “as a representative of the yin-yang school who possessed a profound knowledge of the theory of yin-yang and wrote about a hundred thousand words on it.
However, none of his works have survived...
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| The super-position of wave functions |
To remind people that Issac Newton had not worked on his corpuscular theory on light until the AD 1660's. Following a few centuries from there onto the advent of quantum mechanics.Wherein again in AD 1920’s where Schrodinger and Heisenberg worked on the un solvable problems in classical mechanics and Quantum mechanics (wave-particle duality) came to the rescue into solving them. It further becomes even more fascinating and captivating.
For people with a little more knowledge into the workings of quantum mechanics. To recollect: In the Born Interpretation, There is a ghost field (Gespensterfield) or a wave, guiding the corpuscular quantum but it shows the path for the momentum – energy carrier the light quanta. Comparable again to the depiction of the particle being supported by the wave it is embedded in.
To further bring in Bohr into the equation, who was one of the pioneers of the quantum theory as mentioned earlier. When awarded the Order of the Elephant by the Danish government, he designed his own “coat of arms” which featured a “taijitu” (symbol of yin and yang) and the motto in Latin: contraria sunt complementa: "opposites are complementary". The reason as to why he included the yin-yang except to depict the complementarity associated with the yin-yang in Quantum mechanics is hardly known.
COSMOLOGICAL ANALOGY
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| The Galaxy Structure. |
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| Representing The Sun's Cycle |
For the understanding the analogies behind the cosmological interpretation, I will leave you here with a few self explanatory images.
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| The entire celestial phenomenon. It contains the cycle of Sun, four seasons, 24-Segment Chi, the foundation of the I-Ching and the Chinese calendar. |
Very Intriguing finding and may be you are right. As usual mass you are !! I think this analogy supports your finding as well: Suppose white represents what we assume something to be true, then "black" which is a complement of white would suggest that it is wrong. Which would mean if we assume matter exists in the form of particles(as in yin, because particle is white and "white= true" as we assumed), it has the black component in it(which is a wave)and which is complement of white saying "No dude what are assuming is wrong,consider me". And the same goes with yang as well. Our assumption in this case will be: matter=wave=true=white. It has complementary color black(particle) in it saying: "Dude whats wrong with you? I am the one which is true". This analogy supports your finding too, along with your wave Interference analogy , i presume.
ReplyDeleteWhat you've come to here is a whole new perspective along the same lines and its the plain white truth... Gotta say you've an awesome find here hidden yet again in the yin-yang!
ReplyDeleteWhat about digital logic. 1 and 0 ?
I read it cannot say I understood it.
ReplyDeleteAt what point would you say, I lost you in the post ?
ReplyDeleteI was pondering the question of human belief and its possible connection to quantum physics for a paper I am writing. I was doodling on a paper during a lecture, and drew a wave symbol. It suddenly dawned on me that if I put two balancing particles alongside and encircled it, yep - a Yin-Yang symbol! This blew me away! So I Googled it and wound up here.
ReplyDeleteI have noted a tendency for Western physicists to dismiss this connection, yet I am delighted to see that Niels Bohr incorporated the symbol in his coat of arms. He was not so arrogant as to presume his knowledge came first.
I was pondering the question of human belief and its possible connection to quantum physics for a paper I am writing. I was doodling on a paper during a lecture, and drew a wave symbol. It suddenly dawned on me that if I put two balancing particles alongside and encircled it, yep - a Yin-Yang symbol! This blew me away! So I Googled it and wound up here.
ReplyDeleteI have noted a tendency for Western physicists to dismiss this connection, yet I am delighted to see that Niels Bohr incorporated the symbol in his coat of arms. He was not so arrogant as to presume his knowledge came first.
Mostly humans choose to avoid the concept of probability and are more comfortable with a deterministic approach to life (such as destiny). I however wound up on searching for something like this during my college days as I wore a ying yang around my neck. One day while brushing, thinking about a particle on water being guided on a surface wave and meanwhile looking in the mirror, the correlation struck me and I was intrigued. The tendency you mention about it evident as parts of physics and cosmology was well known to our forefathers and encrypted/scripted within our scriptures. The fact that easterners already had an idea of such concepts before they were fully established in the west is hence quite unsettling.
Delete