22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Has Hell Frozen Over? A Quantum Mechanical Inquiry
Kim F. Ingersoll* and Josh J. Hirner
Dr. James McCormick, Faculty Mentor
The phrase "When Hell freezes over" is commonly accepted as an idiomatic expression with a meaning roughly equivalent to "not a chance." Few, however, have attempted to examine the implications of these words. Seven hundred years ahead of his time, Dante Alighieri was the first to investigate the quantum properties of Hell with the publication of his Inferno in 1321. Using Dante's work and standard quantum mechanical methods, it will be demonstrated that souls are fermions and that the temperature of Hell must decrease for every soul entering it. It is, therefore, probable that Hell has already frozen over; if it has not, it certainly will eventually.
Keywords: Quantum mechanics, Hell, Dante, The Inferno
Topic(s):Chemistry
Philosophy & Religion
Interdisciplinary
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 14-2
Location: PML
Time: 4:15