Episode 1: The Uncertainty principle

Have you ever received a strange message, a message which made zero sense? Usually, any message is a meaningful order of letters, arranged to make perfect sense, a prime example of an experience showcasing the essence of communication with someone. I know I am being a bit dramatic here, but storytelling is fun when the narrator is dramatic, right? So, let's continue. I received a message – an email – with a random set of letters. At first, I felt the message was a glitch or a mistake – it was gibberish after all – but, strangely enough, I was drawn to it! Perhaps the letters resonated with me. I was certain it was encrypted with a cipher, but my knowledge of cryptography was close to nothing. I finally felt that this might be the mystery I was looking for, to introduce fun in my mundane, pathetic life.

(Time to digress a bit so that I can justify the title of the episode)

All my life, I felt I was incapable, uncertain about almost all my decisions. This uncertainty became a permanent feeling, and I questioned every choice I made. As a result, I have always felt like I deserve nothing, making me think I am useless. I try to motivate myself to avoid suicidal thoughts, but deep down, I know I am just a coward incapable of taking my own life, so the motivation is irrelevant. Anyway, let's ignore my feelings because, well, nobody cares, and rather focus on my feelings, because it's my story, and I don't care (and that's a lie). Let's talk about a life based on my choices. What's on my mind when I am trying to make a decision? I feel like the process is the same as that of observing a particle's trajectory. There's a path that leads to achieving my goals, and my choice is determined by measuring my position and momentum. The position indicates how far I have reached from my starting point, my origin. The momentum (velocity or speed) focuses on how desperate I am to achieve those goals. So, I measure the position and momentum of identical particles multiple times, and I try to figure out the trajectory (the consequences of my decision). But, I wonder if I am too classical in my approach, as I ignore how the precise measurement of one quantity leads to uncertainty in the measurement of another, introducing errors in my predicted trajectory of progress. This is the Uncertainty principle of a life based on my choices. I can never be certain about my decisions, and I have to learn not to regret my past actions.

"The classical view, put forward by Laplace, was that the future motion of particles was completely determined, if one knew their positions and speeds at one time. This view had to be modified, when Heisenberg put forward his Uncertainty Principle, which said that one could not know both the position, and the speed, accurately."

-Prof. Stephen Hawking

(Let's digress even more because it's fun)

In my opinion (Yes, I am free to express my opinions here), one of the coolest introductory topics of discussion in quantum physics is the interpretation of a particle's wave function. It describes the physical state of a particle. According to the statistical interpretation, the wave function of a particle is a probability amplitude, and the square of its modulus gives the probability density of finding the particle in a certain position in space at a certain time. So, what is the point of discussing this topic right now? Well, I feel my choice is a wave function, just like that of a particle. It's a probability amplitude that describes the physical (well, mental) state of my decisions. It gives the probability density of finding myself in a certain position, to help me deduce if I am on the correct path towards my goals.

(Now, let's magically connect everything to the story so that I can pretend to be a smart person)

Why was I talking about making a choice? Well, I felt giving this strange message too much attention was a waste of my time, yet, I had fun. I think it's more about entertaining myself rather than entertaining my readers. So, this is my decision. I will try to figure out that message, even if it might be a waste of my time, with no regrets (hopefully).

I feel I missed something important here, and I am too lazy to rewrite this, so let me just add it here. The plot revolves around my dilemma, but what's the other choice? I don't have anything else to do, right? Well, I am a student burdened by the despotic education system. I could focus on my studies instead of devoting my time telling this story. Is it possible that I am frustrated with my curriculum, and this message that I received is my manifestation – one made to break me out of my dullness and explore my creative side? Well, of course it is, because it's my story, duh. (And I also wanted to rant about the education system. My editor isn't very happy with this direction for the story, so I'll stop here).

I think I should share that strange message with you so that we can figure it out together but I lose a bit of the suspense element in this story if I do that. So, stay tuned!

P.S. I just finished writing the last words of this episode and something weird happened. I received a message from the same email id and it's a normal message. I think I am allowed to say, "The plot thickens!". (So cringe).