Pirate!

[unixronin]

Pirate ROCKS.

Pirate, who is 7, was staying that she wanted to stay up and see Santa.  I told her that she couldn't, because he was unobservable.  Then I jokingly suggested that it was a quantum effect.  Then, having started that, she wouldn't let it rest until I explained Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, wave-particle duality, the double slit experiment, quantum superposition, and quantum decoherence.

"Aha!", said Pirate.  "Now I know how Santa gets to every house in the world on one night.  He's in a superposition, and he visits all of them at once and puts presents under every tree at once!"

Comments

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

all things that are allowed are mandatory

#

[fruitylips.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Gabby (3 yo) thinks I'm full of shit about this whole thing where Santa knows if she's asleep or not, but she worked out her version of Pascal's Wager pretty damned quick this evening and yelled at me to stop talking to her. 'I'm supposed to be sleeping, Daddy! BE QUIET!'

On the upside, she is asleep.

That does remind me, tho, that I need to go in and eat the cookies (and brownies...Gabby's respect for Santa is great...) and drink the milk that she left out. It would not do to have Santa clearly have come and left presents, but have forgotten to have a snack while he's here.

[radarrider.livejournal.com]

But of course. Otherwise he'd have to travel so fast that he'd be immediately vaporized due to atmospheric friction. And if he could withstand that, then he'd be moving so fast that the shockwave would probably destroy most buildings and even tear significant portions of the atmosphere away from the planet.

[smandal.livejournal.com]

Is it when Santa Claus decoheres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einselection) that you get a necktie?

[laurarey.livejournal.com]

Ok, I would have to agree...and I've not ever met her. Pirate does indeed rock.

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Your daughters are awesome. :D

[olafthunderfoot.livejournal.com]

damn, she's good!

[ithildae.livejournal.com]

It is so cool when you can have those kinds of conversations with kids. It is even better when they understand and can make connections. That is a better rush than an elegant piece of code that works the first time. Nothing really compares. It is not just genetics, but environment. Congratulations.

[bigsqueezer.livejournal.com]

Oooo The Force is strong in this one!

[elegantelbow.livejournal.com]

That is the best explanation of Santa I have ever heard. Love!

[fatcook.livejournal.com]

She's brilliant! I must remember to use that one.