John G. Cramer
Encyclopedia
John G. Cramer is a professor of physics at the University of Washington
in Seattle, the United States
. When not teaching, he works with the STAR (Solenoidal Tracker At RHIC) detector at the new Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
(RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory
, and the particle accelerator at CERN
in Geneva
, Switzerland
. He is currently engaged in experiments at the University of Washington to test retrocausality
by using a version of the delayed choice quantum eraser
without coincidence counting. This experiment, if successful, would imply that entanglement can be used to send a signal instantaneously between two distant locations (or a message backwards in time from the apparatus to itself). Such "spooky communication" experiments have never been successfully conducted, and only attempted a limited number of times, since most physicists believe that they would violate the no-communication theorem
. However, a small number of scientists (Cramer among them) believe that there is no physical law prohibiting such communication.
magazine; Cramer's column alternates with those of Jeffrey Kooistra. He also originated and published a paper on "The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
" (TIQM) in July 1986, which is inspired from the Wheeler-Feynman Time-symmetric theory. His published novels consist of Twistor (1989) and Einstein's Bridge
(1997); both within the hard science fiction
genre.
Cramer's simulation of the sound of the Big Bang
, created using Mathematica
, attracted some mainstream press attention in late 2003. The simulation originated with an "Alternate View" article, "BOOMERanG and the Sound of the Big Bang" (January 2001). Cramer describes the sound as "rather like a large jet plane 100 feet off the ground flying over your house in the middle of the night."
John was the 2010 Science Guest of Honor at Norwescon, a large science fiction and fantasy convention in the Seattle area.
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. When not teaching, he works with the STAR (Solenoidal Tracker At RHIC) detector at the new Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider is one of two existing heavy-ion colliders, and the only spin-polarized proton collider in the world. It is located at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York and operated by an international team of researchers...
(RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
, and the particle accelerator at CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He is currently engaged in experiments at the University of Washington to test retrocausality
Retrocausality
Retrocausality is any of several hypothetical phenomena or processes that reverse causality, allowing an effect to occur before its cause....
by using a version of the delayed choice quantum eraser
Delayed choice quantum eraser
A delayed choice quantum eraser, first performed by Yoon-Ho Kim, R. Yu, S.P. Kulik, Y.H. Shih, and Marlan O. Scully, is an elaboration on a quantum eraser experiment involving the concepts considered in Wheeler's delayed choice experiment...
without coincidence counting. This experiment, if successful, would imply that entanglement can be used to send a signal instantaneously between two distant locations (or a message backwards in time from the apparatus to itself). Such "spooky communication" experiments have never been successfully conducted, and only attempted a limited number of times, since most physicists believe that they would violate the no-communication theorem
No-communication theorem
In quantum information theory, a no-communication theorem is a result which gives conditions under which instantaneous transfer of information between two observers is impossible. These results can be applied to understand the so-called paradoxes in quantum mechanics such as the EPR paradox or...
. However, a small number of scientists (Cramer among them) believe that there is no physical law prohibiting such communication.
Published works
In addition to his many scientific publications, John Cramer writes a regular column, "The Alternate View", for Analog Science Fiction and FactAnalog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
magazine; Cramer's column alternates with those of Jeffrey Kooistra. He also originated and published a paper on "The Transactional Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
Transactional interpretation
The transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics describes quantum interactions in terms of a standing wave formed by retarded and advanced waves. It was first proposed in 1986 by John G...
" (TIQM) in July 1986, which is inspired from the Wheeler-Feynman Time-symmetric theory. His published novels consist of Twistor (1989) and Einstein's Bridge
Einstein's Bridge (book)
Einstein's Bridge is a hard science fiction novel by John G. Cramer, first published in June 1997.The plot revolves around three central human characters, George Griffen, Roger Coulton, and Alice Lang. Set in 1987 through 2004, the book details the efforts of physicists George and Roger as they...
(1997); both within the hard science fiction
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
genre.
Cramer's simulation of the sound of the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
, created using Mathematica
Mathematica
Mathematica is a computational software program used in scientific, engineering, and mathematical fields and other areas of technical computing...
, attracted some mainstream press attention in late 2003. The simulation originated with an "Alternate View" article, "BOOMERanG and the Sound of the Big Bang" (January 2001). Cramer describes the sound as "rather like a large jet plane 100 feet off the ground flying over your house in the middle of the night."
John was the 2010 Science Guest of Honor at Norwescon, a large science fiction and fantasy convention in the Seattle area.
Alternate View columns in Analog
See also AV Columns Online| Title | Volume / Part | Date | Pages | Subject(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All about teleportation | 128 / 7&8 | July/August 2008 | 128-131 | Teleportation |
| Tracking Adolf | 128 / 10 | October 2008 | 71-73 | Genetic genealogy |
| Humans and estimating probability | 129 / 3 | March 2009 | 59-53 | Inability of most to understand probability |
| Connecting gravity with electricity | 129 / 10 | October 2009 | 59-61 | Fundamental forces |
| Opus 150: dark forces in the universe | 129 / 12 | December 2009 | 35-37 | Dark matter |
| The nice way to make a solar system | 130 / 3 | March 2010 | 60-62 | Evolution of the Solar System according to the Nice model Nice model The Nice model is a scenario for the dynamical evolution of the Solar System. It is named for the location of the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, where it was initially developed, in Nice, France. It proposes the migration of the giant planets from an initial compact configuration into their... |
| The ice man cometh: the icy reservoirs of the Solar System | 130 / 5 | May 2010 | 59-61 | Icy bodies in the Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt etc. |
Awards & recognition
- Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
(1991); - Nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (1991);
- Listed in Who's Who in America (from 43rd Edition, 1984);
- Elected Fellow, American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical SocietyThe American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
(1974); - National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
Fellow at Rice UniversityRice UniversityWilliam Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
(1959–61); - Sigma-Xi Thesis Award at Rice University (1959);
- Bausch-Lomb Science Award at Lamar High School Graduation (1953);
See also
- Transactional Interpretation of Quantum MecahnicsTransactional interpretationThe transactional interpretation of quantum mechanics describes quantum interactions in terms of a standing wave formed by retarded and advanced waves. It was first proposed in 1986 by John G...
- Wheeler-Feynman absorber theory
External links
- John G. Cramer's Home Page - Includes a photograph of the author, contact information, and more
- A Puzzling Signal in RHIC Experiments, Physics News Update Number 723 #2, March 15, 2005 by Phil Schewe & Ben Stein.