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"Schroedinger's Thought Experiment" was first published in Spider Eyes (USA, 1990) and included in Gerald's collection Stealing Kisses (NHI, UK 1992).

Gerald England is a British poet, living on the edge of the Pennines with his lace-making wife, a son and a Manchester terrier. He has been active on the small press scene for over 27 years and edits New Hope International. He has published ten collections of poetry and been translated into several languages. His work has also appeared on various websites and he is a member of Cyberscribers, a group of writers on the Internet.


Dark Planet is designed and edited by Lucy A. Snyder. If you spot any errors, or if you have any comments, please contact her at lusnyde@cyberus.ca.

All materials copyright 1996-1997 by their respective creators. No stories, articles, poems or images from this webzine may be posted or published without the written consent of their creator(s).

Schroedinger's Thought Experiment

by Gerald England

    In the box there is a cat
    and a capsule of cyanide.
    The chances of the capsule
    disintegrating, releasing deadly gas,
    killing the cat,
    are strictly fifty-fifty.

    When we open the box
    the cat will be alive
    else the cat will be dead.

    Until we open the box
    what is the state of the cat ?

    The relativity physicist
    simply doesn't know.
    The quantum physicist
    is not at all uncertain -
    the cat is both alive and dead -
    in suspended animation.
    It is his opening of the box
    that will resolve the matter
    one way or the other.

    The cat is an existentialist.


Poetry by Gerald England


This webpage originally appeared at the Dark Planet website.
Web page recoded by Gerald England
This page last updated: 20th September 2008.