On 9/21/2011 12:15, Patrick Elliott wrote:
> An unnoticed speck of dust, or in a vacuum, a virtual particle? How exactly
> are they isolating things to "prevent" any interactions?

If the photon was colliding with a speck of dust, you wouldn't see it, and 
you wouldn't get a coincident detection. Ipso facto columbo oreo.

> You know, I get the distinct feeling that, at least at some level, we are
> talking past each other. Then you come up with non-sequitors, like the idea
> that the effect of one detector, which I assume is not equal distant, can
> either cause, or not, a change in the other. Yet, somehow, I don't think
> that is what you are saying.

No, that's exactly what I'm saying. And exactly what the wikipedia article I 
pointed ot is saying.

 > What you seem to be saying is that an imperfect
> surface might coincidentally be hit in both detectors at the close enough to
> the same moment, to cause an "unchanged" state, i.e., both detect that
> state, while in other case, the interaction with one detector just happens
> to fall within the bounds of the time that it takes to transition, resulting
> in one detector "causing" a state change, with the other detecting the same.

Did you even read the quantum delayed erasure wikipedia article? Did you 
understand what it says? If not, that would certainly explain the confusion.

> Unless you are suggesting that, somehow, they are making one particle thick
> detectors, with perfect properties, and an "absolutely" smooth surface?
> Seems to em to be much more plausible that this ambiguity is a consequence
> of the imperfect nature of the detectors, not something profoundly strange
> going on. But, hell, what do I know...

Well, I don't know what to say. They do an experiment, it shows what you'd 
expect from the wave equations, even tho that's profoundly strange. And you 
seem to be arguing that they're doing ... some other experiment, because the 
one they're doing would be too strange or something.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   How come I never get only one kudo?

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