Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Let Schrodinger's cat answer all your questions


 
Bringing Schrodinger's cat thought experiment to real life would get you put on PETA's naughty list. Avoid that complication with the Schrodinger's Cat Executive Decision Maker.

No actual cats were harmed in the creation of ThinkGeek's $30 decision maker. What you do get is a plastic device with a sliding door. Ask a yes-or-no question, open the door, and watch as the cat goes into flux. A dead cat means "no." A live cat means "yes."


ThinkGeek may be playing a little fast and loose with the concept. You're not really supposed to be able to observe the flux state, right? But let's not split cat hairs about the accuracy.


A little paradox can go a long way. The Schrodinger's Cat Executive Decision Maker should help ThinkGeek corner the market on gag gifts for quantum physicists.


Some ThinkGeek commenters have noted that you could flip a coin and get the same sort of response. However, I would argue that it's much more dramatic to hand your important life decisions over to a flailing plastic cat in a box.


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