Could someone please explain to me (in layman's terms) Schroedinger's Cat Theory and how it relates to proof there is a God?

The Theory, based upon Quantum Mechanics and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, says basically that if you put a cat in a box with a poison capsule in it, if the cat eats the capsule, it dies, but if it doesn't eat it, it lives. Problem is, you don't know whether the cat is alive or dead until you open the box and observe it's state. Is it alive or dead?....it must be one or the other, but until you actually make the observation by opening the box, only God knows.

Hmmmmmmmm..... Thanks Gerry. If I'm reading this correctly, then the only relation to God would be that you won't know if there is a Heaven/Hell or God for that matter until you die -- just like you wouldn't know if the cat was alive or dead until you opened the box.

I know this doesn't make sense to you, and probably doesn't matter, but my scientist boyfriend and I had a discussion about heaven and hell today and he said that there was a scientfic theory "The Cat Theory" that was related to whether heaven and hell existed -- I think he was trying to either humor me or distract me from the fact that he doesn't believe in God.

Since we were discussing this on an international call, I suppose he didn't feel the subject matter was worth the time/money it would cost to explain, however since he brought it up, and I am ever curious, I wanted to understand how they were related.

Now I'm more confused, but your answer was very simple and succinct, and I appreciate it.

The next time he calls, he will be very sorry he didn't explain in more detail today, as it will end up costing him twice as much to explain the theory in detail, and then to explain why he used this theory to make me believe there was some sort of positive Heaven/Hell/God/Science interconnection.

Thanks again!

A couple modifications.

It's not actually a theory. It is a paradox, something that is seemingly impossible, that arises from certain interpretations of Quantum Mechanical Theory.

The experiment, as Gerry laid it out, has a flaw in that it gives the cat free will. To avoid the messiness this can cause, the experiment is usually simplified to simple probability. A radioactive atom that has exactly 50% chance of decaying in a given time period is used to trigger poison gas. If it decays, the gas is released and the cat dies. If it does not, the gas is not released and the cat lives.

The box is soundproof and opaque so that you no one can see whether the cat is alive or dead, but simply not knowing is not really a paradox. In certain interpretations of quantum mechanics, both (or all) states of a probabilistic event (like the 50% chance of the decay of the atom) exist until they are observed. In this case, because the cat's life or death is determined by this, as yet unobserved, probabilistic event, the cat is both alive and dead until the box is opened.

I think I did hear someone try to use this as a "proof" of God once. I think it went something like, "That's ridiculous, the cat must be either alive or dead. Since no one else is observing, God must be the one whose observation makes it one way or the other." Frankly, I don't buy it as a proof.

P.S.
I say certain interpretations because, while quantum mechanics equations predict the world with amazing accuracy, there are several interpretations of what is actually going on, all of which agree perfectly with those equations.

[This message was edited by methos on 01-19-04 at 08:47 AM.]

Thanks Methos, I am in agreement with you -- I simply can't buy this explanation as proof either. While the alive and dead paradox is interesting -- I don't really see how this pertains to God at all.

odd conversation.. If you'd grown up in the Mpls St Paul area in the late 50's or early sixties Mr Clelen Card Aka Axel had a kid's TV show called Axel's Tree house..

In this case Tulula was the cat...hmmmm.

Tulula's costume (we only ever saw 1 paw) is on display at the Old Log Theatre in Minnetontka MN.