A single photon has its wave function split, and the two waves travel to opposite sides of the universe, eventually reaching two photon detectors each connected to a box stocked with a cat and poison. The waves hit the detectors and cause both cats to enter and remain in a state of quantum superposition between dead and alive, the standard mind-boggling state of Schroedinger's thought experiment explored elsewhere.
But quantum physics is not yet done boggling your mind. As soon as one of the boxes is opened, and the cat inside it is observed, say, to be alive, then the other cat on the other side of the universe instantaneously dies. Perhaps because of the cosmological expansion of the universe, it is no longer even possible for a signal to travel between the boxes. Nevertheless it seems the quantum entangled boxes have communicated faster than the speed of light across the gulf to ensure that exactly one cat lives: spooky action at a distance.
No comments :
Post a Comment