Can Schrodinger's cat apply to things other than alive/dead?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the misinterpretation of Schrödinger's cat analogy in quantum mechanics, emphasizing that the analogy illustrates quantum superposition rather than a literal state of being alive or dead. Participants clarify that decoherence prevents macroscopic objects, like cats, from existing in a superposition state, as they require isolation from environmental interactions. The conversation also touches on the historical debate between Einstein and Bohr regarding the nature of quantum reality, with Bell's theorem experiments supporting the existence of mixed states in quantum mechanics. Ultimately, the analogy serves to highlight the counterintuitive behaviors of particles at the quantum level, not to suggest that large objects can exist in superposition.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles, particularly quantum superposition.
  • Familiarity with decoherence and its implications in quantum systems.
  • Knowledge of Bell's theorem and its significance in quantum theory debates.
  • Awareness of the Copenhagen interpretation and alternative interpretations like Bohmian mechanics.
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  • Research the implications of quantum superposition in quantum computing technologies.
  • Explore the details of Bell's theorem and its experimental validations.
  • Study the differences between the Copenhagen interpretation and Bohmian mechanics.
  • Investigate decoherence and its role in quantum measurement and observation.
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in physics, particularly those studying quantum mechanics, as well as educators seeking to clarify the misconceptions surrounding Schrödinger's cat analogy.

  • #31
mfb said:
Decoherence is irreversible by definition.

Right, thanks for noting that.
 
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  • #32
mfb said:
It does not work with a cat. You can make that analogy with whatever you want, of course, but you cannot make that experiment with an actual cat. Decoherence prevents that. You need something as isolated from the environment as possible, and without too many relevant internal degrees of freedom. In general this is easier with smaller objects such as individual atoms.
Oh now the Schrödinger's cat story/analogy/experiment/thought experiment is a quantum interference experiment, although Schrödinger does not say anything about interference. :rolleyes:Let's put a radioactive atom in a box made of steel, and the box we put in such place where there is a few light minutes of empty space around the box. After a minute the box will be in these states:

many states where the box knows that the atom decayed at time one second
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many states where the box knows that the atom decayed at time two seconds
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many states where the box knows that the atom has not decayed yet
 

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