Chapter 656 - Different Attitudes
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Larry had been perusing Lucien’s papers until the night fell. After the resistance in his heart was gone, he realized that the paper had brought him tremendous enlightenment.
“...Now, what I want to say is that something may be wrong with determinism, because certain processes are probabilistic and irreversible...” Repeating the sentence, Larry rubbed his eyebrow and murmured, “How chaotic and disordered the world will be without strict patterns? It is actually not so. No, sometimes, certain things are in utter chaos and cannot be predicted at all.”
“Damn it. I should leave the problem alone now. The fantasy theory in the microscopic domain should not be introduced into the macroscopic world. Even though it works in the microscopic domain, I believe that some other factors will collapse the wave function and determine the result during the extrapolation.” Larry cursed in a low voice and decided to comment on the paper only from the microscopic perspective in case his head explodes.
That was because the theory seemed to contradict the reality. It couldn’t be probabilistic waves that existed everywhere, right? Could they appear in his laboratory, the headquarters of the Will of Elements, and the Allyn magic tower at the same time?
After a long time, Larry brought out all his experiment records and research papers in the microscopic domain, analyzing them from the perspective of probabilities, the uncertainty principle and the commutative principle. The result was within his expectation, but he found it more or less unacceptable. It was the most self-consistent theoretical explanation so far that could resolve certain problems that hadn’t been resolved yet!
Without him knowing it, it was already dawn. Larry picked up his quill and wrote after pondering for a moment, “...At least in the microscopic domain, no experiments so far can prove that Mr. Evans’ probabilistic explanation is wrong. Also, it resolves the problems that occurred in Mr. Oliver’s explanation of the wave function...”
“...The commutative principle has also unified the particle feature and the wave feature of electrons from the philosophical perspective, allowing us to ‘see’ the wonders in the microscopic domain more clearly... As to whether the uncertainty principle is an intrinsic quality of particles or a phenomenon caused by observation, it will require our investigation with magic experiments.”
He hasn’t quite figured out why the probabilities and the uncertainties of the microworld could not affect the macroscopic domain. It probably involved the conditions that were never considered or discovered before!
“Perhaps, those factors or conditions are the nature of the soul and magic, and the reason why magic patterns can achieve magic effects...” After finishing the review, Larry began to think unrestrainedly.
Without anybody realizing it, the new-generation arcanists who grew in the tide of the new alchemy had stood on the opposite side of the earlier sorcerers including the many grand arcanists. The torrent of changes forced them to move forward with their arcana instincts.
In the meantime, Dieppe, who had been admitted by the Arcana Review Board by the Evans Prize in Arcana, had similar reactions when he read ‘Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy’.
He thought that, having come up with the wave-particle duality of the microscopic particles, he was an open-minded arcanist with wondrous thoughts. However, he found that his imagination was not enough when he read the paper. The probabilistic explanation of the wave function, the unacceptable, ubiquitous cloud of probabilities, and the two arcane values that could not be determined simultaneously... Everything was beyond his imagination and recognition!
“This is a disruptive challenge against determinism, at least in the microscopic domain!” In his shock and subconscious resistance, Dieppe was more or less exalted, feeling like he was a warrior who was charging at the obsolete order, like one of the epic heroes who buried the Magic Empire!
The roars of charge resonated with the poignant collapse of an old age and the sound of hope in the rise of a new one!
Such a vision made his blood boil. He was both scared and captivated, like when he proposed the wave-particle duality.
“Will it result in the reconstruction of the whole arcana system? Will it turn the Congress on a new page?” He mumbled and read somewhat zealously, hoping to understand Lucien’s papers from every perspective.
Having lost his resistance, he found that Mr. Evans’ paper explained the many experiment phenomena perfectly and set up the theoretical foundation for matrix mechanics and wave mechanics, even though it appeared so absurd and self-contradictory on the macroscopic scale!
“If we don’t consider the transition from the microscope to the macroscope, Mr. Evans’ paper that contains the three theories is the ‘relative truth’ that is best and most apt for the microscopic domain so far. However absurd it may appear, I have to admit that it correlates with many experiment data. I suggest that all the arcanists study the new alchemy according to the explanation until it is falsified. However, don’t rush to construct your cognitive world with it...”
“I believe that the falsification of the three fundamental theories will lead to exuberant developments in the microscopic domain. Whatever is proven in the end, and whether or the explanations are wrong, the process will be one of sowing and harvest in itself...”
As he wrote the review, Dieppe felt the trend of time for the first time. He almost couldn’t wait to jump into it and leave a mark of his own on the age to deserve the path of arcana that he had chosen!
......
In Tower, Neeshka and Samantha, who had come to ask the Prophet questions for days, were stunned by the paper in their hands. Bergner, on the other hand, walked to the window. Looking at the buildings that were as small as ants and the brilliant stars in the sky, he sighed, “It’s finally here...”
Just like his vision, the blast that disrupted the foundation of astrology came! After ruining one old theory after another, Lucien Evans had finally focused his eyes on determinism, one of the foundations of the current arcana and magic system!
Also, he in a way denied the value and significance of exploration, because it was impossible to determine the location and the momentum of an electron simultaneously however hard they tried!
Woken up by the Prophet’s sigh, Neeshka said solemnly, “This is ridiculous and hilarious. It’s just an explanation without any theoretical reference and utterly in violation of the macroscopic world! I believe in the fundamental law of the world that strictly dominates everything. It’s the goal and the momentum for us to press our arcana studies.”
“I have my own persistence about determinism, too. However, we cannot reflect such persistences to our arcana attitude. Perhaps, Lucien will prove his explanation with experiments at some point. Therefore, what we should do is to falsify it with experiments. Until then, blind belief and obstinateness won’t be helpful.”
The Prophet corrected Neeshka’s attitude. “Of course, I also believe that, even though Lucien could explain the probabilistic explanation, the cloud of probabilities, the quantum superposition and the uncertainty principle, he must’ve ignored the other influential factors. Otherwise, our world wouldn’t be what it looks like right now.”
Samantha nodded, her eyes losing focus. “I cannot imagine a world of probabilities where the very existence of myself is uncertain...”
She had been firmly on Lucien’s side when it came to the wave-particle duality of light, but she chose the side of opposition this time as firmly. It was nothing personal but solely about her own worldview and her belief in arcana and magic!
historical
After Neeshka and Samantha left, Bergner looked at the vast starry sky again.
He seemed to have an illusion, where the brilliant, splendid old age collapsed unstoppably, and from its ashes arose a new epoch that was even more magnificent.
“Uncertainties?”
He asked himself in a low voice.
......
Inside the Mind Garden...
When he saw Lucien’s paper for the first time, Atlant, the Eye of Curse, found it unacceptable just like others did. In his eyes, the world was obviously reasonable, understandable and predictable with the law of causality.
However, during his resistance, his face gradually changed, because Lucien’s detailed description of the cloud of probabilities and the superposition state were somewhat familiar to him!
Suddenly, the way to become a demigod offered by Benedict III stuck in his head!
“Isn’t... Isn’t this the form of existence after the transformation? Was Lucien inspired by the Pathway of Immortality?” Lights were flickering inside his eyes as he was more shocked than ever.
“Is this what Lucien Evans got after studying the way to become demigod and the mysteries of immortality? He is laying the theoretical foundation for his path to become a demigod?”
The more he thought, the more shocked he became. Atlant began to read it in a different attitude, his resistance gone. He discovered that the theory could not only resolve the problems in the microscopic domain right now but also shed light on the path for him to become a demigod. That was the status of the real beings!
......
Inside the pope’s library in the Holy City...
‘Basics of Quantum Mechanics and the New Alchemy’ was already placed on Benedict III’s desk.
“Denying determinism and Thanos Demon?” He snorted first, but he fell into utter silence as he read on, as if he were completely fascinated by the paper.
Ripples suddenly spread out inside the library. They seemed to be everywhere all of a sudden!
Suddenly, the feeling was gone, and everything was back to normal. Shocked, Benedict III said, “Quantum superposition?”
He fetched a file from the void. The handwriting on the book was still fresh. The title of the book was ‘About the Nature of the Power of Faith and How to Control and Absorb it Effectively’.
Inside the Realm of Gates, when Benedict III was too shocked to control himself, ‘Monster Viken’ also appeared and said with a half smile and half surprise. “Quantum superposition?”