• Question: What is information (in the context of physics)? And why must it be conserved?

    Asked by freddie to Adam, Rob, Sheila, Suzie on 24 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Suzie Sheehy

      Suzie Sheehy answered on 23 Mar 2011:

      Freddie how do you come up with these amazing questions all the time??
      You must have a limitless curiosity – I’m impressed 🙂

      In the context of physics information on the fundamental level is the quantum state of a system. So if you’ve heard of the wavefunction (?), that contains all the information of a quantum system.

    • Photo: Adam Tuff

      Adam Tuff answered on 23 Mar 2011:

      Information is stored in what’s called the wavefunction – everything has one, and it allows us to know properties. It must be conserved as currently we know of no way to create or destroy energy (or matter – we know we can convert energy to matter and vice versa), so therefore it must always go somewhere and must be conserved if this is the case.

      I certainly hope you’re planning on becoming a Physicist Freddie!

    • Photo: Sheila Kanani

      Sheila Kanani answered on 24 Mar 2011:

      It is something to do with wavefunctions if I can remember uni physics 😀

Comments

  • Photo: freddie

    freddie commented on :

    I hate to see my unanswered questions box empty and I’m making the most of my opportunity to ask questions to real scientists. Thanks for all your great answers!

    I’m going to study Maths at university – which includes lots of physics especially quantum and Newtonian mechanics. But it’ll be sad to give up Physics as its own subject. You guys have made me wonder if I made the right choice!