Word of the Day: Schrodinger's cat

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Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | April 9, 2020 Schrodinger's cat Schrodinger's cat is a famous hypothetical experiment designed to point out a flaw in the Copenhagen interpretation of superposition as it applies to quantum theory. This is a somewhat simplified version of the virtual experiment: A living cat is placed into a steel chamber along with a hammer, a vial of hydrocyanic acid and a very small amount of radioactive substance. If even a single atom of the radioactive substance decays during the test period, a relay mechanism will trip the hammer, which will in turn, break the vial of poisonous gas and cause the cat to die. Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger created this thought experiment in 1935 to point out the paradox between what quantum theorists held to be true about the nature and behavior of matter on the microscopic level and what the average person observes to be true on the macroscopic level with the unaided human eye. The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics, which was the prevailing theory at the time, proposed that atoms or photons exist in multiple states that correspond with different possible outcomes and the possibilites, called superpositions, do not commit to a definite state until they are observed. According to quantum law under the Copenhagen interpretation, the cat will be both dead and alive until someone looks in the box. In quantum mechanics lingo, the cat's ability to be both alive and dead until it is observed is referred to as quantum indeterminacy or the observer's paradox. Schrodinger's thought experiment was intended to make people ask themselves if it was logical for observation to be the trigger. Continue reading... Internet Meme of the Day: Schrodinger's Virus Forget the cat. Here's the real problem. You don't know for sure if you've had the virus, because you can't get tested. And even though you can't get tested, you have to act as if you do have the virus, so you don't spread it around -- but you also have to act as if you've never had the virus, so you don't catch it.   Observer's paradox? Don't worry. You'll be ok as long as nobody looks at you. Stay home! Related Terms You Should Know meme quantum theory quantum computing quantum supremacy Azure Quantum quantum as a service (QaaS) Microsoft Quantum Development Kit quantum interference quantum cryptography quantum key distribution Buzzword Alert quantum computer Though the idea of building a quantum computer originated in the 1960s, the technology is recently seeing an uptick in interest and investment.   cryptography The National Institute of Standards and Technology is concerned that a commercially viable quantum computer will break existing cryptographic algorithms.   quantum sensors Lean how quantum sensors and quantum copies are being used today.   quantum hardware Microsoft revealed plans to jump into the quantum hardware business with a chip capable of running quantum software.   quantum nationalism The race is on to build quantum capabilities, and the United States and China are both trying to achieve dominance in this emerging tech. Quiz Yourself A _______ is the counterpart in quantum computing to the binary digit of classical computing. a. qubit b. binate Answer Stay in Touch Thank you for reading! For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition (or learning resource) please contact us at: editor@whatIs.com FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter The Word of the Day is published by TechTarget, Inc., 275 Grove Street, Newton, Massachusetts, 02466 US. Click to: Unsubscribe. You are receiving this email because you are a member of TechTarget. When you access content from this email, your information may be shared with the sponsors or future sponsors of that content and with our Partners, see up-to-date Partners List, as described in our Privacy Policy. For additional information, please contact: webmaster@techtarget.com. © 2020 TechTarget, Inc. all rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands, logos, and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Privacy Policy | Partners List