Quantum Mechanics is a strange and counterintuitive theory. Dealing with the behaviour of subatomic particles, it is extremely difficult to reconcile

Quantum Suicide – Thought Experiments

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2024-10-30 09:30:22

Quantum Mechanics is a strange and counterintuitive theory. Dealing with the behaviour of subatomic particles, it is extremely difficult to reconcile with our experience of everyday life. Niels Bohr, one of the theory’s father figures, famously said, “Anyone who is not shocked by quantum theory has not understood it.”

The inherent counterintuitiveness of Quantum Mechanics has led some scientists to adopt an approach termed “shut up and calculate;” intentionally resisting the urge to attribute meaning and interpretation to the predictions of  the mathematical equations behind the theory. Others have attempted to ascribe meaning to Quantum Theory, attempts which have resulted in the multitude of interpretations prevalent today.

Quantum Suicide is a fun, quirky thought experiment that I particularly like because it makes an introspective argument, rather than an observational one, casting us, the readers, as both experimenter and experimentee.

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