Explaining quantum coherence to a layman

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Einstein Mcfly
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Hey folks. I'm giving a poster at a conference in a month or so and I'm supposed to explain my research (optimal control of quantum systems in dissipative environments) to people from many other disciplines (psychology, biology, etc). I'd like to hear any tips those on this board have on how to explain quantum coherence to people who may have never had more than high school physics, if that.

There is always the pictorial representation of adding two waves constructively to get a larger amplitude or destructively to get a smaller one, but that's the best I can think of so far. As for wave packet rephasing, there is the analogy of people racing around a track at speeds that are integer multiples of one another and showing that at a certain time later they'll all be at the starting point together.

Other ideas? Thanks in advance.
 
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