Electrons DO NOT Spin

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Quantum mechanics has a lot of weird stuff - but there’s thing that everyone agrees that no one understands. I’m talking about quantum spin. Let’s find out how chasing this elusive little behavior of the electron led us to some of the deepest insights into the nature of the quantum world.

Spin Renderings by the Incredible Jason Hise

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Hosted by Matt O'Dowd
Written by Graeme Gossel & Matt O'Dowd
Graphics by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini, Pedro Osinski, Adriano Leal & Stephanie Faria
GFX Visualizations: Katherine Kornei
Directed by Andrew Kornhaber
Assistant Producer: Setare Gholipour
Executive Producers: Eric Brown & Andrew Kornhaber

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[dustgalaktika]

Electron spin explained: Imagine a ball that is rotating, except it's not a ball and it's not rotating.

[fragglet]

Finally an explanation of why you have to rotate USB plugs twice before they'll go in!

[andreyleonel]

Basically, the Electron doesn't have Angular Momentum because it's spinning. It has Angular Momentum because yes.
It just checked "yes" in the Angular Momentum option.

[Richinnameonly]

I feel like a good analogy of spin 1/2 is a mobius strip. The first time around you end up on the other side but go around again and you get to the beginning.

[Zeero]

7:46 Physicists were excited, but only in discrete amounts, probably.

[Activated_Complex]

Physics: “For that to make sense…”
Quantum Mechanics: “I’m gonna stop you right there.”

[philip]

I am living proof of my own quantum theory which states that it's possible to both love quantum mechanics, and hate quantum mechanics at the same time.

[RuslanLomaka]

I didn't understand everything, but I feel like I'm becoming smarter watching this kind of content. The visualisation of untangable cube was mind-blowing. And the ball exceptionally insane.... Thank you for your great efforts

[bamikroket]

That double spin example was probably the best I've seen.

[wannabecriminalman]

I really appreciate the determination to not dumb down the subject matter, even though most people (including myself) won’t really get it. There are dozens of channels that will explain quantum mechanics with flawed analogies and misleading visual aids for the sake of accessibility, but the real meat of quantum mechanics isn’t so easily digestible.
Quantum mechanics is a confusing and difficult subject, and to present it otherwise is more misleading than helpful.

[hermes]

The most stupendous description of anything I've ever listened to. I was lost in the first few seconds, fell asleep twice, and was able to listen to the end with my brain wonderfully confused

[mrboombastic_]

Props to this guy for teaching _without blinking_

[blinded]

"Electrons are spinning, but for legal reasons, I have to deny that"

[TheKqkk]

i perfectly understood everything until the first sentence

[codyheiner]

9:30 for those wondering how this is possible, the trick is that any specific ribbon goes up on one turn, and down on the next. Thus, its orientation with respect to the cube alternates, and so it undoes its previous twist.

Same idea with the arm holding a cup.

[northascrowsfly]

This was properly painful, and I want to suffer even more from this in future episodes. 🧠

[chrism]

So USB type A connections are Spinors, gotcha.

[rchfind_ctve]

Spin is always explained the same way in Physics classes:
"Imagine a charged ball spining
But it is not a ball, has no charge and doesn't spin"

I went really fast from "this seems impossible" to "of course this happens" in the mug/cube/sphere part. Great visualisation!

[Xenosophia]

Unapologetically obscure content presented as lay-accessible stories. Love it.