Learning quantum mechanics with Super Mario World
by Candace Savino 
{ Mar 24th 2008 at 6:00PM }
We love science, even if it totally creeps us out sometimes. Take, for example, this video explaining quantum mechanics and parallel universes via Super Mario World. Maybe Tyler Durden was right and we aren't unique snowflakes, after all. (It's okay, we're trying to hold back the tears, too.)
Still, we love when science is dumbed down to our level (that is, explained using video games we know and love). This video, for example, teaches Hugh Everett's multiverse concept, using 134 overlaid playthroughs of a Super Mario World hack.
We now conclude your Nintendo Wii Fanboy lesson for today (brought to you by the folks at PopSci); make sure to run off and tell your mothers what you've learned.
[Via Gemaga]
Still, we love when science is dumbed down to our level (that is, explained using video games we know and love). This video, for example, teaches Hugh Everett's multiverse concept, using 134 overlaid playthroughs of a Super Mario World hack.
We now conclude your Nintendo Wii Fanboy lesson for today (brought to you by the folks at PopSci); make sure to run off and tell your mothers what you've learned.
[Via Gemaga]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Waffala @ Mar 24th 2008 6:07PM
Too awesome, all science should be explained using Nintendo's intellectual properties.
Croove55 @ Mar 24th 2008 6:21PM
Next week, Link's spin attack will explain centripetal and centrifugal forces, and the differences between reactive and fictitious centrifugal force. Also, stay tuned as Olimar and Al Gore explain why your car could be slowly killing the world's Pikmin population.
worm @ Mar 24th 2008 6:23PM
While I appreciate seeing Nintendo in the education world, this is hogwash "science" at best. If you want to call random, gross speculation about parallel universes that could never be proven to exist "science", then go right ahead. This is bull in its purest form.
Plus this video is kinda old.
Candace Savino @ Mar 24th 2008 6:53PM
I think you're just bitter because you're not a beautiful, unique snowflake :P
But, to defend my post:
1) Who are you to say that this can never be proven or disproven? How do you know how far science will come many, many, years from now? Also, where would we be if no one ever ventured to speculate or think of a crazy hypothesis? Dismissing something immediately because of incredulity is like hearing that world is flat in the 1400s and immediately believing it to be untrue. Lastly, how can you call something "not science" when people have tried to prove/disprove multiverses using the scientific method? The fact that it's been proven mathetimatically is interesting, even if that means nothing concretely.
2) The video is only a week old, and was only made popular on Digg this weekend. It also hasn't shown up in major gaming blogs, so gamers are probably unfamiliar with it. But yet, I suppose a week is Jesus riding a dinosaur, in internet terms.
:D
worm @ Mar 24th 2008 7:05PM
This video is NOT only a week old. This exact video (minus the text) was posted on kotaku (which is one of the major gaming blogs) on February 6th. That's where I'd seen it.
http://kotaku.com/353450/super-mario-world-explores-quantum-physics
Candace Savino @ Mar 24th 2008 7:19PM
"This video is NOT only a week old. This exact video (minus the text) was posted on kotaku (which is one of the major gaming blogs) on February 6th."
i.e. THIS *exact* video IS a week old.
PopSci took the multi-Mario video (the one you linked) and spliced the science lesson directly into it, making it as basic as possible so that non-science minded people could understand it. Which is probably why this video got dugg and not the other one.
Anyway, I can totally see where your frustration is coming from, since the original video was made last month :). So, my bad in that respect (and in also not realizing that it was posted on Kotaku).
Spekkio @ Mar 25th 2008 8:39PM
And your background and qualifications in physics are...?
Calling science "bull" without being able to back it up is not a valid argument.
Roto13 @ Mar 24th 2008 6:26PM
I feel smarter already.
HPFFE @ Mar 24th 2008 6:31PM
lol, awesome.
Chris @ Mar 24th 2008 6:55PM
This video kind of confused me... I already understood the multiverse theory, and the whole time I was just trying to figure out how all these Marios pertained to the part of the theory he was trying to explain.
Still, it was fun. :-)
neekblog @ Mar 24th 2008 6:46PM
heh, reminds me a lot of this:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/248844
Mr Khan @ Mar 24th 2008 7:13PM
So this is how those Dark SWAT Kats were able to exist
Now if only i had some dimensional radar
xxfanboy87xx @ Mar 24th 2008 7:17PM
i think pspfanboy is alittle too late on this one. this video was first found in 2005. and the splitting mario is a result of how much times the gamer actually died in this Kaizo Mario hacking game.
Candace Savino @ Mar 24th 2008 7:20PM
Ah, so I've seen. Sorry about that, guys :D.
Patius @ Mar 25th 2008 1:49AM
*head asplodes.
DomoBraden @ Mar 25th 2008 3:42AM
"THE VIDEO YOU ARE TRYING TO WATCH IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE. PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON."
Nooooooo!!!
*Cue depressing sitcom music*
...Now I feel left out.
DomoBraden @ Mar 25th 2008 3:44AM
*10 seconds later.
Nevermind, it's back up again.
*Cue happy music.
balungi @ May 5th 2008 3:47AM
science fiction insn't the beginning of quantum mechanics but is the beginning of the bigbang phenomena. what about the final and the newly developed wide theory. is it that one truth can explain all the others or does it make nature wrong.found at http://jabarule.livejournal.com and www.freewebs.com/balungilano