Russian Roulette and schrodinger's cat

In summary, the conversation discusses the famous Schrodinger's cat thought experiment and its implications for quantum mechanics and the behavior of quantum systems. The concept is then applied to a game of Russian Roulette, where the players are locked in a room and take turns pulling the trigger of a revolver against their own head. The possibility of both players being alive or dead at the same time is explored, and it is concluded that the setup would guarantee that at most one player is dead at the end. The conversation also touches on the Copenhagen interpretation and the concept of wave-like properties in quantum systems.
  • #1
sodaboy7
81
0
We all the famous schrodinger's cat experiment and its outcomes which sound stupid in classic or macroscopic world. A similar thought came to my mind for Russian roulette game. Suppose you lock 2 game players in a room with a revolver of single shot and they start playing Russian roulette by pulling triger against their own head turn by turn. In such a game there is half a chance that a particular player will be alive. A shot is fired every minute. So what can we commen on a particular player after last shot is fired and assuming that they show quantum behaviour? Each player can be equally dead and alive at the same time. This makes possible four outcomes both dead, both alive, one dead, other dead. But we know that if one is dead then the other must live which eliminates 2 cases. But I m confused about state of 2 player system. So what will be the end result?
 
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  • #2
Um no - an important part of the Schrodinger Cat thing is that the probability that the cat lives of dies is tied up with some quantum state.

The Russian Roulette is covered by normal, hidden variable, statistics.

But if you put your contestant in a box where the gun is controlled by a quantum event ... then the illustration comes into play: before we open the room, what do we know about the state of the contestant?

You may want to try a setup where the player who dies is determined by the quantum event.

The rest of the point is that the cat cannot have wave-like properties.
The thought experiment is a comment on the Copenhagen interpretation not on quantum mechanics or the behavior of quantum systems or of cats.
 
  • #3
The two-player case is like two-particle system. You will have separate indicators for each player. You will also have a "time evolution operator" that says a living player has a chance to be killed every minute. This operator would transform a living player into a superposition of a living and dead player. The action of this operator on a dead player would be zero (that means: you can not kill what already has no life). This setup will guarantee that at most one player is dead at the end.
 

Related to Russian Roulette and schrodinger's cat

1. What is Russian Roulette?

Russian Roulette is a lethal game of chance where a single round is placed in a revolver, the cylinder is spun, and players take turns pulling the trigger while pointing the gun at their own head. The player who pulls the trigger on the loaded chamber is killed.

2. Who invented Russian Roulette?

The origins of Russian Roulette are uncertain, but it is believed to have originated in 19th century Russia, hence the name. However, the game gained popularity in the United States during the 20th century.

3. What is Schrodinger's Cat?

Schrodinger's Cat is a thought experiment proposed by physicist Erwin Schrodinger in 1935. It involves a hypothetical scenario where a cat is placed in a sealed box with a device that has a 50% chance of killing the cat. According to quantum mechanics, until the box is opened, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time.

4. How are Russian Roulette and Schrodinger's Cat related?

Both Russian Roulette and Schrodinger's Cat involve the concept of probability and the idea that an outcome is uncertain until it is observed. In Russian Roulette, the player takes a chance with their life, while in Schrodinger's Cat, the cat's fate is left to chance until the box is opened.

5. Is Schrodinger's Cat a real experiment?

No, Schrodinger's Cat is a thought experiment used to illustrate the concept of quantum superposition and the idea that an object can exist in two states at once. It is not a practical or ethical experiment and has not been conducted in reality.

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