The HOM effect at the Noches de los Investigadores (2015)
m |
m (Laussy moved page Blog:Blog/The HOM effect at the Noches de los Investigadores (2015) to Blog:Science/The HOM effect at the Noches de los Investigadores (2015): Better in Science) |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by one user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | [[Elena]] explained the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong%E2%80%93Ou%E2%80%93Mandel_effect HOM effect] at the 2015 edition of the [http://ec.europa.eu/research/researchersnight/about_en.htm European Researchers' Night] in [[Madrid]] (see [http://www.madrimasd.org/lanochedelosinvestigadores/ here for the local event]) as part of the [[Squirrel]] project. | + | [[File:squirrel-2014.png|100px|right|link=Squirrel]][[Elena]] explained the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong%E2%80%93Ou%E2%80%93Mandel_effect HOM effect] at the 2015 edition (and 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary) of the [http://ec.europa.eu/research/researchersnight/about_en.htm European Researchers' Night] in [[Madrid]] (see [http://www.madrimasd.org/lanochedelosinvestigadores/ here for the local event]) as part of the [[Squirrel]] project. |
--more-- | --more-- | ||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
<gallery widths=200px perrow=3> | <gallery widths=200px perrow=3> | ||
| − | File:lw_NocheInvestigadores-Madrid2015-2.jpeg|Elena explaining to the | + | File:lw_NocheInvestigadores-Madrid2015-2.jpeg|Elena explaining to the Madrilenians what are quantum indistinguishability and interferences. |
File:lw_NocheInvestigadores-Madrid2015-5.jpeg|Everybody wants to know what minions on stickers have to do with that. | File:lw_NocheInvestigadores-Madrid2015-5.jpeg|Everybody wants to know what minions on stickers have to do with that. | ||
File:lw_NocheInvestigadores-Madrid2015-3.jpeg|Two minions head either to the pizza, either to the cinema. | File:lw_NocheInvestigadores-Madrid2015-3.jpeg|Two minions head either to the pizza, either to the cinema. | ||
Latest revision as of 18:04, 12 October 2016
She used Minions 
to trick people and make the math look appealing, with great success. She contrasted the scenarios of two friends wanting to go out according to a plan clásico or a plan cuántico. In the latter case, the HOM effect allows them to always show up at the same place.
Her presentation aimed at actually demonstrating the result rather than just stating it. The main difficulty did not actually come from the axioms of quantum mechanics, such as superpositions of states and measurements, that the public at large appears to be familiar with (Schrödinger's cat), but from the more mundane $i^2=-1$, that attracted its deal of attention. Surprisingly, a very young kid asked: "what happens if the probability to go either way of the road is not 50/50?". This Peer Review type of question implies that some fraction of the public got pretty much the idea.
These are some pictures of the event.
Elena explaining to the Madrilenians what are quantum indistinguishability and interferences.
Everybody wants to know what minions on stickers have to do with that.
Two minions head either to the pizza, either to the cinema.
As they pick up a factor $i$ on their way if they go straight, the plan becomes a planazo.
Julia didn't enjoy the amount of attention these minions got, at her expense.
Near the end of the night, however, she was allowed to join in the discussion.
