Schrödinger’s Womb

Once upon a time there was a scientist named Schrödinger who believed the then current interpretation of a scientific theory that seemed to show that something could both be and not be at the same time to be ridiculous. To illustrate this he devised a thought experiment now known as Schrödinger’s Cat. The summation is that a cat is placed in a box with a container of poison. Also in the box is a device that can detect if a radioactive sample has a single atom decay. If this does happen the poison is released killing the cat. If this does not happen then the cat will be unharmed. The experiment is set up in such a way that there is a 50/50 chance of this event occurring. The scientific theory in question (the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics) would state that the cat is both alive and dead until an observer opens the box and takes a look to see if Fluffy is dead or alive. Below is a video that does a better job of explanation.

I’ve told this story to highlight a ridiculous aspect of modern law. If a woman is pregnant it is her decision alone that determines whether she is carrying a baby or ‘the products of conception’. For the cynical sake of attempting to make sex consequence free our society is allowing the determination of when human life ‘begins’ to be decided by individuals on a case by case basis. More bluntly society is allowing the determination of whether a specific segment of human population is to be allowed the protection of the law and the most basic of human rights, that is existence, to be determined in a manner that is mind numbingly illogical. This has set a horrible precedent that will almost certainly allow the stripping of legal protections from other groups of human beings.

If only we could apply the Copenhagen Interpretation to this unfortunate reality. As Dominicans we know that there is an outside observer who has already determined if the contents of Schrödinger’s Womb is actually a human being with the inherent rights of a human or just a clump of cells.