Terry Reedy wrote:
Steven D'Aprano wrote:
On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:46:54 -0800, rurpy wrote:
For example, consider the two electrons around a helium nucleus. They
have the same mass, the same speed, the same spin, the same electric
charge, the same magnetic moment, they even have the same location in
space (technically, the same wave function).
By quantum mechanics (Pauli Exclusion principle), this is impossible.
> They are identical in every
possible way. Are they the same electron, or two different electrons?
What does the question even mean?
That you do not understand QM?
Photons, on the other hand, can be identical, hence lasars.
Matter is divided into leptons and bosons, individualists and
communalists. (I believe I have the name right.)
Fermions and bosons, actually.
--
Robert Kern
"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
an underlying truth."
-- Umberto Eco
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