[Geezer]

The faster you run at the wall, the higher the probability is...

Er, I'm not sure that's quite right. Isn't it more a question of timing?

[JP]

The faster you run at the wall, the higher the probability is...

Er, I'm not sure that's quite right. Isn't it more a question of timing?

The probability of a single particle tunneling through a barrier increases as you increase its kinetic energy (i.e. speed). 

Actually, what really matters for a person and a wall is probably the force you're exerting on the wall...

I'm thinking this is a job for Kitchen Science!  []

Dave: Ben, I want you to walk into that wall as hard as you can. 
Ben: That sounds easy enough. 
[Thudding sounds heard on the podcast]

[Cut to Chris]
Chris: We'll come back to them in a few trillion years to see what happens.  In the meantime, why don't you try it at home and let us know what happens?

[Geezer]

The probability of a single particle tunneling through a barrier increases as you increase its kinetic energy (i.e. speed). 

These Smartypants Physicists always have an answer! Anyway, in the grand scheme of things, is a few meters per second going to make a hill o'beans difference? I think not!

[CPT ArkAngel]

What if we could make oscillate fermions between fermion state and boson state very rapidly? Not only we could pass through walls but we could use it to move very rapidly...

[Mad Mark]

QM does not allow you to walk through a solid wall its just that there is a very small probability that as you are about to attempt that maneuver all the atoms together in the wall no longer recognise itself as being part of that wall and fall appart. And even less probability that all the atoms then would want to become a solid wall again. Either way you do not get to walk through a solid wall with QM. Of course that only applies to all known living creatures on earth if however unlike humans who only control there limbs, who,s to say what a super being is capable of doing if they have control over their atoms that they are made of?

[JP]

QM does not allow you to walk through a solid wall its just that there is a very  small probability that as you are about to attempt that maneuver all the  atoms together in the wall no longer recognise itself as being part of that wall and fall appart.

That's also true, but QM does allow you to walk through solid walls as well through a process called tunneling.

[QuantumClue]

Right - maybe in probability, but the probability is vanishing. It's beyond small.

Not only that, but quantum tunnelling is what it says on the tin - it's not a macroscopic phenomena.

[JP]

Indeed.  As is the probability of the wall disintegrating because of quantum effects.  In reality, these things won't have happened even if the wall had been around since the beginning of the universe--that's how unlikely it is.

[Geezer]

Indeed.  As is the probability of the wall disintegrating because of quantum effects.  In reality, these things won't have happened even if the wall had been around since the beginning of the universe--that's how unlikely it is.

Bummer! So you're saying the Number 10 Quantum Magician Set I bought on Ebay for Mrs G's Christmas might not live up to expectation?

[techmind]

Let's just say that somehow you could walk through a pane of glass without breaking it... somehow you could superimpose both objects...
If partway through the glass sheet was halfway across your lungs or your windpipe and you hesitated mid walk, you might suffocate. Eeek!

So it's clearly a dangerous thing to do  []

[QuantumClue]

But still, I could end up on Pluto's surface because my wave function dictates so. there is almost certainly a cutoff though for the wave function, which makes this near impossible.

[Bill S]

So the thing to do is to stand by your brick wall for a few trillion years and hope to get lucky.  []

[Geezer]

So the thing to do is to stand by your brick wall for a few trillion years and hope to get lucky.  []

You could speed things up a lot if you try it in Amsterdam.

(I can't believe I just said that - must be some sort of quantum effect.)