Sunday, October 4, 2009

We are all superpositions of eigenstates

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From my quantum mechanics class...

Prof: Here's how you remember that when a wave runs into a hard boundary, it will experience a 180-degree phase change. This demo will hurt so I have to take off my glasses.

[Prof walks into a wall]

Prof: Now you see that I have experienced a 180-degree face (phase) change...

(In a subsequent class.)

Prof: Remember that individual eigenstates are stationary in space...

[Prof does a robot freeze in a funny position]

Prof: That's an eigenstate.

[Another pose in a funny position]

Prof: That's another eigenstate. Now I look like an idiot.


This prof has a very flamboyant persona. Awesome demos. Makes up for the less-engaging Powerpoint slides. He reminds me of Doc DS from Intro Chem at the 'Tute, who is seriously a Godfather/pimp. And Doc S has board technique that totally rocks. Having done "chalk talks" before, I realize how hard it could be to lecture coherently while writing down equations and responding to the class, etc...

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