May I live long enough to understand quantum physics!
(Pardon the rambling. This is a blog after all. :)
Some years ago, I heard Clay Jenkinson say that he began performing as Robert Oppenheimer because he had been convinced that one must understand quantum mechanics in order to live a flourishing life in the 21st century. I have been a fan of Mr. Jenkinson's portrayal of Thomas Jefferson for decades, so his comment inspired me. If only I live long enough! (If not, oh well. One needs to keep perspective. :)
So I haven't gotten very far. But one thing I learned is that the forces between material objects arise from an exchange of momentum quanta. That blew my mind. I think I learned it in The Tao of Physics, but I can't be sure. Anyway, I googled today, and found this by Kevin Brown: "Attractive Forces From Quantum Exchanges." (You'll see that I lifted the the second sentence of this paragraph directly from his article.)
I continue to study (and work full-time, and raise my family, and try to live the rest of my life), but I simply had to stop and share this quote: "To explain how attractive forces can be produced by an exchange of photons, it's necessary to set aside our prejudices regarding the temporal asymmetry of events." Who needs science fiction when strange things like this are the basis for the reality that we live in?
What kind of world do we live in?! Join me in exploring it, won't you?