Schroedinger's cat (749 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: -0.12 on 15 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Hookhand (View user info) at 2008-11-25 22:33:39 EST
She finally decided to take off her heels and carry them when her favorite Gucci pumps pinched her toes so bad she stopped feeling the little one and a blister developed on both big toes. She padded down the carpeted hallway of the terminal barefoot; pumps and boarding pass weaving through the fingers on her right hand, airport pulp romance novel and handle of her wheeled check bag in the other, head forward, avoiding looking to either side. It was by blocking out the distractions in her periphery that she spotted him; tall with salt and pepper in his sideburns, professional in spite of his unknotted tie and undone top shirt button, his head forward, making his way to what she knew was the same gate as her.
She also knew he would arrive at the ticket check counter the moment before she did- he was almost a head taller and had the benefit of his shoes on and the benefit of his check bag consisting of a black leather laptop case slung low over his shoulder. He also had the benefit of her bad luck, the kind of luck that caused her to sigh audibly and slump with her back against the counter when he indeed arrived first, blowing the wisp of bang that worked itself out of her hair clip and lay itself across her forehead.
The woman at the counter was sorry, but there was only one standby spot on the flight. No there was not another flight to Detroit tonight. Yes, the airline would provide hotel accomodations. Yes, they could wait until the flight boarded to check if there was an empty seat.
"In all likelihood," the man suddenly said to her, which startled her because they weren't having a conversation, and in fact, she hadn't been even looking at him; she turned her head to see who was speaking when he started and that was how she realized he was talking to her "one of us is the loser and gets a night's rest at the Budget Inn across the tarmac. The other flies home to Detroit in time to watch the Lions lose tomorrow."
"Call it in the air?" he continued, gesturing with his head to the coin in his hand in a way that caused her gaze to follow his to the palm of his hand where he held a gleaming five cent piece. She needed to sit down, and said so.
She slumped in a hard-backed airport chair and he chose the one next to the one next to her, leaving a polite buffer but indicating by leaning over the vacant seat between them that he intended to continue the conversation. He'd even held onto the nickel. "Why," she asked "would you flip for it? You got there first."
"If you'll remember," he corrected "it was a tie. Winner flies, loser stays?" She called it in the air and he let it land on the back of his palm before covering it with a SMACK of his other hand. He peeked, smiled, and lifted his hand to show her she'd guessed right. 'Tails never fails' she thought. Her husband, her EX husband had played football in high school and was fond of saying "tails never fails" only after he'd flipped a coin and regardless of whether he won or lost. It had irritated her so, but not as much as it did now that she remembered it. Pulling herself back into the moment, her irritation faded and was replaced with curiosity.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked. "I won." She had won; Monticello sat facing her on the back of his hand in triumph. "Well, in a way...yes" he conceded "but in a way, I did, too. I happen to subscribe to the theory of the infinite multiverses." Before she could ask he continued. "It's a result of some reading I do on these long flights. I got to reading a book on Quantum physics and I have come to believe that there are an infinite number of parallel and simultaneous realities. In some of them, you won the coin flip. But in the rest of them, well, in the rest of them you'll discover why they call that hotel across the tarmac 'budget." He smiled, pleased with himself and he pocketed his money.
She half expected to see him staring out the window at her as the plane pulled out onto the snowy runway and waited its turn to take off. But he was likely collecting his coupon for his hotel and his boarding pass for 7 am the next morning. He was likely sitting on an empty airport shuttle with his computer bag across his lap, his eyelids heavy as hers were now. She closed the shutter and leaned her head against it and closed her eyes. She didn't open them again until a cacophony of screams echoed through the cabin and the air masks dropped from the overhead panel, the lights flickering. She closed them again and leaned her head against the window. What need was there to panic when in an infinite number of other universes she was still alive?
User Reviews
Submitted by Hookhand (user info) at 2008-11-29 16:19:02 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by Sidivan (user info) at 2008-11-26 12:38:32 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
I couldn't even read that the sentance structure was so bad. I drudged through the first two paragraphs and called it quits.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-11-26 10:54:30 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
it should have been about how direct observation influences the outcome, noob.
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That's the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle. Shroedinger's cat is a cat in a box with some poison to demonstrate a loophole in quantum mechanics where the cat is both alive and dead until you look.
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Who fails more? Rad for not knowing what Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is, or sid for "sentance?"
Submitted by DonkeyOnTheEdge (user info) at 2008-11-27 23:29:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Wow, you watch Big Bang Theory too?
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2008-11-26 20:46:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Don't even get me started on Schroedinger's Cat. Mind if I whore? Thanks.
http://www.ubersite.com/m/73319
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-11-26 20:21:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Sidivan (user info) at 2008-11-26 12:38:32 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
I couldn't even read that the sentance structure was so bad. I drudged through the first two paragraphs and called it quits.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-11-26 10:54:30 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
it should have been about how direct observation influences the outcome, noob.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle. Shroedinger's cat is a cat in a box with some poison to demonstrate a loophole in quantum mechanics where the cat is both alive and dead until you look.
-=-=-=-=--=-=-
witch if you take it to the logical conclusion you see that direct observation influences the outcome.
Which is what I said in the first place.
Which makes me think you wanted to bust out with your Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle in order to pretend you were smart too.
:(
Submitted by blueboy (user info) at 2008-11-26 20:16:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I didn't read this, but only because I know it's not funny.
Submitted by Replen (user info) at 2008-11-26 13:04:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I mentioned Schroedinger's Cat to a very nerdy looking but nevertheless pretty girl in a pub next to a university once, having heard it on a episode of Stargate earlier that day. She babbled on excitedly for 20 minutes with some science-ey stuff and big words that I didn't understand a word of and then we started kissing and I got off with her, score. Fortune favours the bullshitter.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2008-11-26 12:48:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Schroedinger's Cat is a load of horseshit. Philosophy gives me a headache.
Submitted by Sidivan (user info) at 2008-11-26 12:38:32 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
I couldn't even read that the sentance structure was so bad. I drudged through the first two paragraphs and called it quits.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-11-26 10:54:30 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
it should have been about how direct observation influences the outcome, noob.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's the Heisenburg Uncertainty Principle. Shroedinger's cat is a cat in a box with some poison to demonstrate a loophole in quantum mechanics where the cat is both alive and dead until you look.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2008-11-26 10:54:30 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
it should have been about how direct observation influences the outcome, noob.
ps" you are a quintessential ubersite pseudo-intellectual.
pps" you suck at writing
Submitted by BigBuffty (user info) at 2008-11-26 06:45:35 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
jesus when i saw the title i knew it would be a gay story, but not this gay. go stick your shoes up your ass you fudge bunny
Submitted by Wildman (user info) at 2008-11-26 05:35:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
The construct in the majority of your sentences needs serious review and revision.
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2008-11-26 00:44:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
who the hell is ynh?
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2008-11-25 23:07:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Interesting idea. Fleshed out and a bit longer, it would be pretty good.
Submitted by sandmantate (user info) at 2008-11-25 23:04:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked it.
Submitted by YourNameHere (user info) at 2008-11-25 22:45:51 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Needs less Hookhand.