String up the mobius chains.

December 14, 2006 4:21 PM

Happy Anniversary, Quantum Mechanics! "On December 14, 1900, Max Planck presented experimental data at the German Physical Society and said that it could best be explained if energy existed in discrete packets, which he called "quanta." It was on that day that the field of Quantum Physics was effectively born. I call it QM Day and it's the unofficial start of the Agnostica Holiday!"
posted by mystyk (16 comments total)

Agnostica is the only truly secular winter celebration.
This is something that I could buy into except for the fact it is now summer.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 4:55 PM on December 14, 2006

<QM|Fun> = 1
posted by ozomatli at 5:07 PM on December 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

very cool; now I feel really bad about being born on December 7.
posted by TedW at 5:18 PM on December 14, 2006

Thanks mystyk! Would have missed that one. While an Agnostica Holiday sounds inebriatingly intriguing, and something you have mentioned before here, how about you go for something with a bit more conviction towards the scientific world, such as an Atheism Holiday? Incidentally, with the massive progress in quantum physics and the age old problem of marrying it with larger scale cosmology and gravity, a great place to get up to speed is a book I'm currently reading by Roger Penrose, the only guy to really give Hawking a run for his mental money, called The Road to Reality, via slashdot.
posted by dubious at 5:19 PM on December 14, 2006

And Agnostica is really cool, now that I see it incorporates the Finnish version of julglogg into the celebration. "Mulled wine" indeed; what other mulled wine adds Aquavit (or vodka if you are a heathen) to (over)compensate for the alcohol cooked off during heating.
posted by TedW at 5:24 PM on December 14, 2006

TedW writes "very cool; now I feel really bad about being born on December 7."

That's OK, Agnostica is the only holy day that changes by you observing it.
posted by clevershark at 5:25 PM on December 14, 2006 [3 favorites]

ozomatli, I totally cracked up over here. I'm stealing that. God, I am such a dork.
posted by jmhodges at 5:27 PM on December 14, 2006

Also it should be commemorated by the exchange of gifts wrapped in Schroedinger boxes.

Incidentally I got a free upgrade on my car rental today... maybe it has something to do with this.
posted by clevershark at 5:28 PM on December 14, 2006

And the Agnostica holiday sounds awesome. I'm sending this one up to Mixed States (self-links taste delicious).
posted by jmhodges at 5:29 PM on December 14, 2006

I was going to make a joke about if we dont observe QM day, does that mean it only exists as a wave? But I cant think of a funny way to say it!! Thanks mystyk, enjoyed it.
posted by BillsR100 at 5:30 PM on December 14, 2006

I think something like that fact that the day exists in two waveforms prior to 14/12 (12/14) - and only precipitates as a celebration if observed.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 5:41 PM on December 14, 2006

I think clevershark used the "observational humour" (sorry about the pun) side of things first...
posted by dubious at 6:15 PM on December 14, 2006

It seems a little odd to date Agnostica from Planck's discovery, seeing as he was a devout Christian.
posted by Iridic at 6:30 PM on December 14, 2006

Iridic writes "It seems a little odd to date Agnostica from Planck's discovery, seeing as he was a devout Christian."

A bit like Christianity being based on the teachings of a Jewish man, I say.
posted by clevershark at 6:36 PM on December 14, 2006

I don't want to rain on any agnostic parades.. but I always thought the coolest part of being Atheist/Agnostic was that you don't have to join any clubs, and you can party whenever you want. Everyday can be a holiday!
posted by bluejayk at 7:33 PM on December 14, 2006

bluejayk

A lot of atheists (etc.) feel a lack of community and such that they try to fill with things like this.

At least this "Agnostica" looks kinda creative. Unlike, say, HumanLight Day. I don't know what brilliant person dreamt that up.
posted by Target Practice at 7:52 PM on December 14, 2006