Particles are in a “superposition” of being in many positions simultaneously (this is the wave-like behavior), until we measure them: then, they appear to determinately be in just one position (in our example, the position of going through one slit or the other)-and it turns out that quantum mechanics can give us extremely accurate probabilities describing how likely it is that we will find a given particle a particular position. The baffling conclusion drawn from experiments like this is that small particles behave like waves unless we are able to measure their position, in which case they behave like particles. The wave-like interference patterns disappear from the back wall, and we see two discrete bands instead. And now things get truly strange: when we add a detector in this way, suddenly the electrons do behave like little bullets. So, we could investigate this strange wave-like behavior by placing a detector by the slits, measuring which electrons pass through which slit. It seems as if a single electron should only be able to pass through one of the two slits at most. This in and of itself is already bizarre: how can a single electron somehow pass through both slits, like a wave? But when we further investigate the phenomenon, things get even more bizarre. And in fact, it turns out that we have good empirical reason to believe that the physical properties of these particles can be completely described by functions describing waves-i.e. So it seems as if these small particles behave more like waves than they do like particles. You can see here the difference between the actual pattern generated on the back wall and the expected pattern from the first illustration. small discrete packets of matter, like tiny bullets fired from a gun-then we would expect to observe two discrete bands on back wall, each one corresponding with electrons that went passed through one of the slits on a straight path and collided with the back wall.Įlectrons illustrated as particles, but behaving as waves, as pictured above. If the electrons behaved like small particles-i.e. Unsurprisingly, this is known as “the double-slit experiment.” The dimensions of the experimental setup are such that there is a chance of the shooting device aiming the electron through either one of the slits, and the back wall has a way of recording precisely where electrons collide with it. Between the shooting device and the wall is another wall, with two slits in it, so that electrons can only hit the back wall by passing through one of the two slits. Let’s suppose that we’re shooting small particles-say, electrons-from some device in the direction of a wall. To see why, we need to explore the bizarre ways in which small particles behave, and how people have tried to make sense of this behavior. My contention is that BioShock Infinite succeeds in using actual quantum mechanical theory in developing an impactful and innovative narrative.
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If you’re already familiar with these theories, then feel free to skip the first two sections of the article.Ī Review of Quantum Mechanics The Double-Slit ExperimentĪ huge amount of today’s science fiction tosses around terms like ‘quantum physics’, ‘multiverse theory’, and so on. In order to do the game justice in this analysis, we’re going to have to start by putting two theories of quantum mechanics on the table: one called the ‘Copenhagen’ interpretation of quantum mechanics, and another called ‘Many-Worlds’ quantum mechanics. The argument probably won’t make much sense unless you’ve played the entire game, anyway.) (Be warned: a “spoiler alert” is in effect for the duration of this analysis. Ultimately, I hope to convince you that this makes BioShock Infinite one of the most cohesive and well-crafted works of modern science fiction. I want to show you why you, the player, are a crucial element to understanding the narrative of the game, and why your avatar’s name leads you astray from this understanding. Now, however, I want to offer readers my own discussion of the game, offering an argument that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been advanced elsewhere yet. After all, one can hardly finish the game without wanting to analyze it in one way or another. When I first played BioShock Infinite, I appreciated the game, but I refrained from analyzing it because it seemed like a game already buried in analyses and discussion. A Comprehensive Theory of Majora’s Mask.
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