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Sometimes experiments may have unexpected results. Sometimes very unexpected results. Usually, when an experiment is well controlled, the results get more predictable. Sometimes.

Dr. William G. Gemmon was an excellent quantum theoretician and philosopher, at least according to his own opinion and his loyal students. His favorite subject was the Heisenberg Uncertainty relations, the fundamental limits on our ability to observe reality. What especially vexed him was the impossibility of exactly measuring both the position and velocity of particles. The product of the uncertainties always had to be above a certain level.

However, as he always insisted, this was against the principles of true Science, where there were no limits to the sufficiently inspired mind. So he set out to demonstrate a way that the Uncertainty Relations could be circumvented. His idea was to use another property of quantum mechanics, the superposition of states.

From a formal standpoint, a system that no one observes is in a mixture of all possible states, and only when observed one of them becomes real. The Schrödinger's Cat paradox is based on this: a cat is placed in a box containing a trap that will kill it if a certain radioactive atom decays. Since the decay is completely random, the box will contain a mixture of the states 'dead cat' and 'alive cat' just before it is opened and the experimenter sees the result, forcing the cat to become dead or alive. Some (notably technocratic) scientists found this view unpalatable and proposed "better" solutions, but Dr. Gemmon knew it was the key to the Uncertainty Relation.

He built a different kind of Schrödinger-box: a room (his lab), containing a quantum device that with exactly 50% probability would trigger his Omega Space Recorder which would record the exact position of everything in the room down to the quantum scale, and otherwise trigger the Omega Time Recorder which would record the exact momentum of everything present. Finally, he linked his Transreality Computer to the devices to merge their information.

The idea was simple. As the experiment started, the room would enter a mixed state. In one reality the Space Recorder would record all positions, in the other the Time Recorder would record all speeds. The information would be merged into a complete recording by the computer.

Dr. Gemmon set up his devices, tested them thoroughly, and then left the room. Using a timer the device activated, and after a carefully measured time interval the door opened before him, forcing the superposition to collapse. Reality had a choice: to give Dr. Gemmon the total measurement of the room despite the Uncertainty Relations, or to uphold the Uncertainty Relations — but then the devices which had been proven to work had to fail. Something completely different occurred to solve the paradox: the position and velocity of the room, devices and Dr. Gemmon became infinitely uncertain to all outside observers. They just vanished from reality. Inside the room, all information was perfect. Dr. Gemmon finally found a reality where Science could measure everything.