schrödinger's cat

sionnach Wanted
$10,000 reward.
Schroedinger's Cat.
Dead or Alive
Sep 20, 2009

sionnach Schroedinger, you should not have done that
That "playing God" with a cat,
Which, by the way, mister
Belonged to your sister
The next time please make it a rat.

Said Schroedinger "poison is nifty
To dispose of this cat, God is thrifty
We can't tell if it died
Till we all peer inside
And the odds are at just that, 50/50."

The cat in the box still has growth
Or it's dead, and infested with sloth
One should not get unnerved
Till the cat is observed
It's a superposition of both.

So that is the way that you tell it
Leave a cat in a box with a pellet
Should the trigger let go
The poison will flow
And you'll know the cat's dead when you smell it.

Said Schroedinger, "let Physics advance
Though it might be kitty's last dance
When we open the box
Be prepared for some shocks
But there's only a 50% chance."

Said Schroedinger, "let's take a chance
Though it might be kitty's last dance."
"The poor cat," he then joked
"is alive, or it's croaked"
But you can't know these things in advance.

Said Schroedinger," isn't this fun"
Shot a cat in a box with a gun
I'll be sure it survives
'Cause the cat has nine lives
And I'll only be using just one."

Found on the interwebs, courtesy of someone called Karen Reid.
Sep 20, 2009

artoparts See: Verschränkung and Heisenberg effect. Jun 18, 2009

oroboros Cecil Adams explains quantum physics in an epic poem. Oct 19, 2008

plethora Schrödinger's lolcat.
Oct 19, 2008

bilby A description of the cat problem and, yes, a dead/alive cat simulator is here. I love these things. The Monty Hall simulators keep me busy for hours. Dec 11, 2007