The Real Meaning of Schrodinger's Cat - Ask a Spaceman! 

This also necesarily brings up the question: At what point does a quantum system start to behave like a classical one? Is there a discrete difference between these kinds of systems, or are there "intermediate forms" near where their respective conditions diverge? If the logical state of a macroscopic system is dependant on a quatum system, does the whole system have a quantum state?

Thank you this is the best explanation ever for quantum mechanics. I finally understand it!

Watched this ten times now and still scratching my head. I used to laugh at the many worlds interpretation but now because of this don't dismiss it as I did years ago.

I enjoyed and hated this video, until I watched it.

The first time I actually grasp this concept. No one ever explained it this way.

What if you close the lid (of the box containing the electron) leave the premises and someone enters and open the lid, the two of you being mutually unaware of each others existence, are the two of you then bound to see the same collapsed state?

Maybe I’m missing something - if you hit the electron so in theory you force it into a particular state at the moment it is hit, why is it’s state only decided when you ‘look’ at it.

Has anyone ever considered that there's more than two options for the cat? What if there was, say, a third choice, by which you interrupted the cat in the process of dying (metaphorically changing states upon opening the box)? What if this option was further split between finding the cat closer to life, death, and exactly in between at the point of observation? What might the implications be about the way or time that the box was opened?

The problem with this explanation is that human beings (and cats) are constructed from particles and the rules that govern their expression at the macroscopic level. We are built from electrons, protons...and possibly energies yet to be constructed. Cats, therefore, can be considered as the sum total of sub-atomic particles expressing in this form in the same way a diamond is the expression of carbon molecules with their atoms, electrons, and energies.

Excellent! I had totally forgotten what the metaphor meant. lol

How was it discovered that a quantum object is in both states simultaneously? How do we know it isn't in one state or another? What difference does being in both states simultaneously affect anything else?

It was amazing and so useful and helpful for me. thank you so much

"Mystery box" - we call it here simply "Cat in a bag" :)

I always thought of the Cat experiment as a starting point on when and what collapses the quantum state. If an observation does it, then what constitutes as an observer? Can the system itself be considered one? On the other hand, what about cases (such as in the early universe) when quantum oscillations did have a "macroscopic" effects, thanks to the rapid expansion?

My favourite physicist! Keep up the good work :)

Do you think that it might be because the act of measuring a quantum system disturbs the system due to the way the measurement is made and causes the system to assume the state measured? For example, we look at classical systems by our eyes absorbing photons that have bounced off of a classical object and that object is so large relative to the photons that they are not noticeably disturbed by the photons deflections. In contrast a quantum system is a lot closer to the photons size and anything we were to use to “measure” the system would also cause the system to change its state and therefore the act of measuring is what gives the quantum system its state? (As opposed to it being “all” states at once prior to the measurement).

This is the first presentation I have heard which suggests explicitly that the dead or alive problem is just an epistemological problem, whereas other presentations seem to have it laid out as an epistemological problem without actually recognizing that the fact that we don't know the state of the cat in the box doesn't mean the cat himself doesn't know he is alive, or alternatively lacks any sense of being alive in the case that he is just a dead body.

Sometimes my brain feels both dead and alive. It's like I'm in a Schrodinger's Catatonic state.

But YOU know what's in the box before during and after the 'recipient' opens the box. Does that change any outcomes when you multiply the box 5 times and send to 5 friends?

If the wavefunction of a quantum system doesn't collapse until an observation/measurement is made, how is it possible for there to be a state where an observation is yet to be made if literally any possible surrounding particle qualifies as an observer? Would that mean that an object in superposition somehow exists outside of space and time? And does that partly explain why we mostly don't see weird occurrences at the macroscopic level?

I may or may not have loved the video! It may or may not flow better after the video speed is set to x1.5 😜

Isn't whether a cat is a quantum system sort of an interpretational issue? In the many worlds interpretation, isn't the idea basically that quantum wonkiness does scale up, but we don't notice because we're also quantum systems existing as part of a universal wave function?

What do you mean by saying “ if you actually make the measurement “?

My edu background is engineering but in QM: I have no more knowledge than just introductory flavor. So a naive question: Is it possible that in QM, physicists are forced to use all possible states in describing a physical system, when it's being written in mathematical equations, but in reality, even in subatomic systems only one state exists (we just have no means of viewing it since no microscope can see such small particles)? For example, if we were to mathematically describe which card gets pulled form a deck of 52, the mathematical equation for it would have to take the possibility of getting ANY of the 52 cards (i.e. if you wanted to, you could state in spoken language that all possible cards have been pulled but in reality, only one card gets selected).

If a subatomic particle is produced by a quantum system (a closed box) that does not terminate when that particle is produced, then that particle will travel outward from its point of origin during the time that the quantum system is coherent. The particle will pass through the box and any other matter that exists in its path until the quantum state of the system is terminated. The energy of that particle is not confined inside that box or absorbed by any matter that the particle passes through until the quantum state of the system terminates. True?

What do I know, but isn't that just saying that the electron is doing its up-down thing so fast that we can't begin to guess which state we will find it in? Like I take a picture of a bird in flight. Its wings aren't both up and down, but when I look at the picture, I find either up or down. Somebody else's picture might be the other way. Or are you saying that if I pass that electron around it's now stuck in the state that I found it in? Then I'm going to say it was always in that state and you just didn't know which one until you looked. Or are you saying it's stuck in that state until I let it go and then somebody else might find it in the other state?

I saw somewhere that buckyballs exhibit the quantum interference pattern when they are fired one at a time in a double slit experiment. Does that make them a quantum system? What if I could make a buckyball with 61 carbons? 62? etc, etc... Where is the line then between "quantum system" and "not a quantum system"?

Interesting, yes dam interesting. A very nice explanation, thanks

I don't think this is correct. 'Schrödinger's Cat' was a thought experiment created by Erwin Schrödinger to criticise the Copenhagen interpretation and show what he thought was the ridiculousness of it. He was criticizing the whole idea in general, not trying to show the difference between any sort of Classical vs Quantum states. . Quantum effects definitely come into what you call the 'Classical' environment. ie without quantum tunnelling the sun would not continue to burn. We are all quantum objects, or at least made of them so I don't think trying to show differences between is useful, it's just that the probability of quantum type things happening at this scale are close to zero. Hugh Everett thought that thinking about things in these 2 rigid terms were one of the main things holding Physicists back.

8:08 "the electron does exist in all possible states" is only one interpretations. Another is that particle doesn't exists until you measure it. Until you measure it, it is wave. In other words, waves are what exists and particles are what we observe.

And how does one make the “measurement “?

Schrodinger's cat is based upon the Hegelian dialectic. Thesis (alive, being) is dual to anti-thesis (non alive, non being) --> Synthesis, becoming or non duality! Thesis is dual to anti-thesis, the time independent Hegelian dialectic. Energy is dual to mass -- Einstein Dark energy is dual to dark matter Certainty is dual to uncertainty, the Heisenberg certainty/uncertainty principle Space is dual to time -- Einstein The future is dual to the past --> synthesis, becoming = the present or now (non duality).

Mind is sort of quantum system. and brain acts as machine that interprets inputs and outputs to this system. and you have the greatest interpretation machine, dude.

At what size is the transition from quantum to classical and back?

Does Schrodinger's wave equation work for Gravity waves, or is this part the reason why Quantum Gravity is so hard to figure out? If so, why do some physicists suggest that many worlds is a simple solution to collapsing the wave to resolve the measurements problem, when it doesn't work for Gravity.

So, the observation doesn't interfere of the state of the Schrödinger's cat, but in the quantum world, it does interfere of the particles?

Brilliant

oh ok, whew.. no quantum rules up in the hizous!!!

OK so there are jillions of quantum states in the universe that never get measured/observed. Does this mean those particles always exist in all possible states forever?

Isnt it then just as throwing a dice? Why would you try to explain it with mystery boxes or other things if its just a dice throw. Maybe its not a fair dice but still.

To me this sounds like evidence that we are in a computer simulation.

What have you got against cats? Lol xD

How do devise a contraption that gives the subject a 50/50 chance? A coin flip doesn’t have a 50/50 chance.

I opened the box, the cat was a dog, it flew away. how confused is the box?

Years ago I had ideas of wanting to be a high school science teacher but instead decided to fly helicopters instead until a medical incident grounded me. It was around five years ago I ran across the world science festival on RU-vid and watched the video “ a thin sheet of reality “ This was the first time I was exposed to quantum mechanics. I watched that video 20 or more times and started watching lectures by Susskind, Verlinde, Gerard LaHuft ( I think that’s how you spell his name ) and others. My general interest of science is now focused on particle physics. Just like spin of a particle or it’s state is only determined by measurement. And by measurement, we are forcing the issue and actually changing it because of the orientation of the measurement apparatus doing the measurement. A fragile environment like the problem with quantum computers have today. The superposition of states only means an unknown state ( possibilities for a better word ) until we look or better stated measure. Measuring disturbs the coherence of the state and forces an answer. Quantum computers get errors and don’t work if you disturb the coherence. Like some mystery, the universe fights us on particle observation and we cannot know what is really going on without disturbing it. Nothing but field disturbances creating particles. Nothing but bits of contained energy. Like virtual particles that pop up out nowhere and disappear is not a big deal to me. Just like how some quarks exist in the LHC in Geneva only because of the temporary energy spikes of collisions and quickly go away because the disturbances are temporary and the quarks dissipate back to the field ground state. Kind of frustrating how the universe gives us nothing to work with to see a natural quantum state without disturbing it. Another thing I learned was how important statistics mathematics plays a role in physics. So the way I understand superposition is like a mystery box, we can never know the real state of it until we measure and force an answer because of the measurement disturbances. In that sense it looks like probability a quantum system only because we cannot see it as it exists without disturbances. I wonder if neutrinos and trying to use them may get us out of the measurement problem we are currently stuck with. I guess what I am saying is correct but I am not able to know that. I should have been science teacher.

My feeling is that you just prefer one interpretation of QM and ignore other.

I both watched and didn’t watch this video .... hate when that happens ...

So... the Universe has Lootboxes....

so the observer decides ultimatley whats in the box?

So I am not immortal via quantum immortality? That's a let down. Paul, I blame you for my finite existence.

so, like a magically sealed box?

Great video. Isn’t the cat, at our macro level, itself an observer?

❤❤❤

so the famous magician David Copperfield did not use quantum mechanics after all, when opening boxes... ;-)

Three - make her open the box

Isn't just another excuse for not know😬

so if im sitting in my house, which is sorta like a box, and my ex is pounding on the door, but she doesnt know if im actually inside or not, cuz i turned my phone off and im hiding from her, does that mean im both dead and alive?

All physics aside, I always wondered why Herr Schrodinger was so cruel? I imagine a hundred different that might happen in a box as the result of a single quantum event that does not result in any harm to anything.

Scientists can’t believe that mystical magical things exist, but they believe this, “the cat is not wearing a hat!” Why oh way does the cat always come back, a scientist from nasa loaded in a space bound ballon, the balloon was never seen again, but the very next day the cat came back, meow kitty, meow so pretty, the cat came back.

Another important part of this thought experiment is that your 50/50 trigger goes off as a result of opening the box. It's rigged to that act

See lootboxes like in Overwatch.

How would you explain this to a kid who have no idea about this🤔

In the Beginning, there was only Darkness upon the Deep. Originally, in the “Beginning” the quantum Field of Singularity existed as a closed system, as an Empty Box filled with a Singularity that held the superior position of Reality as the Primary Quantum Singularity existing in all possible, in two states or conditions; existing and not existing, being both dead and alive at the same time. The Reality, the existence of the primary quantum, Singular Particle being determined, bound, by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. The Super supposition of the Quantum Field is such, that the location nor the momentum of the Quantum, Primary, Singularity, is measurable, can be determined to exist or not to exist, is Uncertain and must, therefore, be theorize to both exist and not exist, to be both dead and alive at the same time. Singularity has a dual Quality. Occupying the superposition of Existence, Reality, as a Motionless Quantum Singularity having no relative no numerical value, the Primary Particle as a Motionless Infinitely Finite Indivisible Singularity having a numerical value of Zero-0, Nada, Zilch, Zip, Nothing: A Quantum Singularity is given the name “No-Thing” while the Quantum Field is given name “Nothingness”. In order for the Primary Singularity to become a Singularity having a numerical value of One-1, become the Reality of First Cause, it must be set in motion, have angular momentum, velocity of speed and direction, become measurable as to Momentum and location within the Emptiness of Space, must issue forth out of the Darkness upon the Deep. By the very nature of a Closed System, an empty box, it is not possible to know the content until Singularity issues forth as a Singularity having a relative, a numerical value of One-1, issues forth as the Reality of “First Cause”.

Continue to divide the distance between a target and a fired bullet and the target never gets hit The cat lives

Like McDonald's giveaway game based on Monopoly

Omg. Playback speed controls were created *just* for this guy!

The cat is an observer

There is nothing that we do not own infinite amounts thereof. But we send it down in precise measure. ... Exalted is He who created all pairs - from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.

It's a dog !!! :-)

Quantum Double Slit...

so, it's a gacha

Schrodinger's cat is a trick question the box actually contains Pavlov's dog.

I don't really agree. The whole point of the experiment is to demonstrate how absurd quantum mechanics is, and hence Schrödinger gradually turning to philosophy and biology.

Uh, no. There's no such thing as "classical mechanics." Everything is quantum. If the cat can equally be in either state, then, our lack of knowledge about which state means the cat is, indeed, in both states simultaneously. There is no size limit on Schroedinger's equation.

Nicely confused as usual!

So was Lazarus Dead, or asleep?....Why does Yahshua tell Martha, "DO YOU BELIEVE"?.....because there is a 50/50 chance, and when Yahshua asks Yahweh his father, and commands Lazarus to "WAKE UP"....(even though Martha was speaking science with rigomortis)....FAITH!!!....Otherwise, I do not understand what your point is?....Of course we do not know whats in the box, until we open it.....Who needs a Physisits to tell us that.....what I do see, is non believing scientist, attempting to explain "FAITH" away, because Paul already warned us of men that will do this....I.E....before the "observer effect" was discovered...non believing scientist were already drawing FALSE TEACHINGS about solid particles regardless of measurement and observation.....this was how you explained FAITH as a myth...then Yahweh showed you your ERROR with QUANTIUM SCIENCE, that in the beginning the EARTH was in a SUPERPOSITION state, or WASTE AND VOID, and darkness in the box, or the deep....so LET THERE BE LIGHT, and he saw the light that it was GOOD, and he divided the light from the darkness just like the slit experiment...Now Paul says in Romans 1:20-23 that the WISE MEN of this world who clearly see the word of Yahweh is TRUTH would rather explain away the TRUTH for more silly lies of "THERE IS NO ELOHIM".....only man.......Repent, for the time is soon at hand.

As long as the cat remains in the box, a closed system, it remains dead. The Dead cat has the potentiality of being brought back to life if it can escape from the box, makes a quantum leap.

Schrodingers' Cat & Tunnel Syndrome? Yes, they're simply the WallsClosing and the Cats' in a Flap a big mouths' hard2shut❣ h8me2morro sum1cares2day©️ {/diceyedo\}🦆

first? Ive never been first before!! ha!!

Pfffttt. It's just a conspiracy by cat-kind to induce another guilt-trip that will make humans give cats more food and attention. Come on. Everyone knows that dark secret. :P