The cat that was but wasn't
TIFO about Schrödinger's cat
Recently, we have been learning about atomic theory. As a student who is very interested in chemistry and physics, I took it upon myself to understand more about the topic at hand. Schrödinger was a name who came up in multiple topics, and so I decided to understand who he is and why he is so famous. Schrödinger's cat is a brilliant thought experiment which explains the meaning of quantum superposition in an amazingly simple way. His thought experiment deals with quantum effects on a macroscopic level, which may pave the way for future teleportation technologies and may help us better understand the fourth dimension, which would be groundbreaking in our scientific understanding of the world
Who is Erwin Schrödinger?
Erwin Schrödinger was a scientist from the 20th century. He was one of the foremost scientists who advanced our understanding of chemistry, quantum physics and atomic theory. Among his most famous and influential works was his thought experiment, which came to be known as Schrödinger's cat.
What is Schrödinger's cat?
In a thought experiment, Schrödinger proposed the idea of a cat in a box with a radioactive device which has a 50% chance of killing the cat. Imagine, for this experiment, that the cat cannot tamper with the device and that within the next hour, it has a 50% chance of dying or being alive. After one hour, what is the state of the cat? While most of us say that it would either be dead or alive, Schrödinger proposes that until we measure the state of the cat by looking inside the box, it is simultaneously dead and alive, and that its absolute state cannot be defined.
So, why does this matter in science?
There are two main reasons. Firstly, it is a very good way to simply explain the field of quantum physics, specifically dealing with quantum entanglement. Secondly, it allows us to test multiple theories of the universe. Let's deal with an example which shows both of these values. There is a theory about the universe called the multiverse theory. It says that the cat is both simultaneously alive and dead, but in two separate universes. If it is alive in this universe, it is dead in the other, and if it is dead in the other, it is alive in this universe. It theorises that by checking the state of the cat in either universe, you can tell its state in the other. The implication of this theory is that quantum effects can be emulated on a macroscopic scale, because it says that these two cats are quantum entangled. This means that their state is dependent on each other, and that they are entangled, even if they are unable to communicate in any way.
Sure, but why should I care?
Because if we find proof of quantum effects on a macroscopic scale, things which were unthinkable will now be in our reach. Think about a 3d graph. There can be infinite different points with the same x and y values, but different z values. Now imagine this in 4d. There must be infinite points with the same x, y and z values on a single 4d graph. This coupled with the emergence of quantum effects on a macroscopic scale would pave the way for teleportation. A person would essentially step into a portal and have a 50% chance of being at the same place and a 50% chance of being at a different place. It would be revolutionary. Intergalactic travel would become a breeze, and our understanding of the universe would become so much greater.
Who is Erwin Schrödinger?
Erwin Schrödinger was a scientist from the 20th century. He was one of the foremost scientists who advanced our understanding of chemistry, quantum physics and atomic theory. Among his most famous and influential works was his thought experiment, which came to be known as Schrödinger's cat.
What is Schrödinger's cat?
In a thought experiment, Schrödinger proposed the idea of a cat in a box with a radioactive device which has a 50% chance of killing the cat. Imagine, for this experiment, that the cat cannot tamper with the device and that within the next hour, it has a 50% chance of dying or being alive. After one hour, what is the state of the cat? While most of us say that it would either be dead or alive, Schrödinger proposes that until we measure the state of the cat by looking inside the box, it is simultaneously dead and alive, and that its absolute state cannot be defined.
So, why does this matter in science?
There are two main reasons. Firstly, it is a very good way to simply explain the field of quantum physics, specifically dealing with quantum entanglement. Secondly, it allows us to test multiple theories of the universe. Let's deal with an example which shows both of these values. There is a theory about the universe called the multiverse theory. It says that the cat is both simultaneously alive and dead, but in two separate universes. If it is alive in this universe, it is dead in the other, and if it is dead in the other, it is alive in this universe. It theorises that by checking the state of the cat in either universe, you can tell its state in the other. The implication of this theory is that quantum effects can be emulated on a macroscopic scale, because it says that these two cats are quantum entangled. This means that their state is dependent on each other, and that they are entangled, even if they are unable to communicate in any way.
Sure, but why should I care?
Because if we find proof of quantum effects on a macroscopic scale, things which were unthinkable will now be in our reach. Think about a 3d graph. There can be infinite different points with the same x and y values, but different z values. Now imagine this in 4d. There must be infinite points with the same x, y and z values on a single 4d graph. This coupled with the emergence of quantum effects on a macroscopic scale would pave the way for teleportation. A person would essentially step into a portal and have a 50% chance of being at the same place and a 50% chance of being at a different place. It would be revolutionary. Intergalactic travel would become a breeze, and our understanding of the universe would become so much greater.
What about you? What's your favourite TIFO moment? Tell me down in the comments below.
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