Schrodingers Cat - explained

Why anyone would want to put a cat in a box?

It is perhaps one of the most well-known concepts of physics, but just what is the meaning behind the hypothetical (and cruel) feline experiment?

Well, it is actually initially intended to be a sarcastic comment on the idea of quantum mechanics. A theory developed by a collection of some of the greatest physicists ever in the early 20th century it was a study of how particles behave and interact with each other. In a nut shell, it explains that all particles can be described as a point like mass (like a hard ball) and at as a wave of energy.

Schrodinger: Austrian,
physicist, questionable pet
owner.

The wave concept is used as a way of containing all the information of the particle, which can then be written as a function. This allows every particle to be written as an equation which can then be used in calculations to solve how particles would interact with each other. The crucial part of this is that the wavefunction which describes the particle can be composed of multiple out comes simultaneously. What state the particle is actually in (be that energy, spin, or position) will be decided the moment it is observed but until then it exists in all states. This sounds a little complicated, which is where Schrodinger comes in.

He proposed a "macroscopic" example, what if instead of a sub-atomic particle and a wave, we considered a cat instead. In order to recreate the "unobserved" nature of the particle, we put the cat in a box. To finish up we need a bit of uncertainty, something which can't be known without observing. So to achieve that we will use a vial of toxic gas connected to a device which will break it open, controlled by a radioactive trigger. Radioactive particles decay entirely at random so we could not possibly know when it triggers and breaks open the vial of gas.

Here we see the wave function of the
poor cat.

Combining all of this means that this poor kitty in the box has two possible existences. Either it will be alive and well, if a little worried about the time bomb next to it, or the vial will have been opened and the cat will have perished. Okay granted it's not the most humane of thought experiments, but it gets the point across, so bear with me. So we cannot possibly know what is going on inside the box without opening it - obviously. Now considering this is a scaled up version of quantum mechanics, this means that inside the box the cat is both alive and dead. At the same time. If we open the box the decision is made, conventional science takes control and one of the two options becomes reality. This is exactly what happens with particles in quantum mechanics.

So Schrodinger's Cat is the basically just a simple, fun, if a little cruel, way of explaining quantum mechanics. Hopefully, now you understand the concept and can show off to your friends, family, and co-workers. If you have any questions about the idea discussed today, or want a specific thing discussed comment below, or contact us on Twitter, or leave us a message on Tumblr.