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Schrödinger's cat
Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment in quantum mechanics that illustrates the strange world of quantum superposition. In this experiment, a cat is placed in a box with a vial of poison that may or may not be released, depending on the outcome of a random subatomic event. The cat is therefore considered to be both alive and dead at the same time, until the box is opened and the outcome of the experiment is known.
This experiment was devised by Erwin Schrödinger in 1935, in a discussion with Albert Einstein, to illustrate what Schrödinger saw as the problems with the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. The Copenhagen interpretation states that the wave function of a particle collapses when it is observed, and that this collapse is what gives the particle a definite state. However, Schrödinger argued that this interpretation leads to absurd results, such as the cat being both alive and dead at the same time.
The Schrödinger's cat thought experiment is a fascinating example of the strange and counterintuitive world of quantum mechanics. It is a reminder that our everyday understanding of reality is not always complete, and that there are still many things that we do not know about the universe.