Is Schrödinger’s cat dead or alive, and other questions about quantum

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What is quantum computing? Will it simplify our lives and increase our productivity? What challenges does it bring and will it replace parts of our laptops and smartphones to perform faster calculations?

And the mystery of the century: Is Schrödinger’s cat dead or alive?

We asked all these questions to two quantum computing experts: Stephanie Wehner is a professor at Delft University of Technology and director of the Quantum Internet Alliance. Mathias Van Den Bosch is responsible for the key R&D topics for the future of Thales Alenia Space

What is Schrödinger’s cat?

Schrödinger’s cat is the famous thought experiment conducted by the Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935.

In this experiment, a cat is placed in a sealed box along with a radioactive atom, a radiation monitor, a vial of poison, and a hammer.

When the monitor, known as a Geiger counter, detects radiation caused by the decay of the radioactive atom, it triggers a hammer that breaks the poison vial, which would result in the cat’s death.

According to quantum mechanics, the radioactive atom exists in both a decayed and an undecayed state until the box is opened and examined. Consequently, the cat is both alive and dead.

It illustrates one of the main principles of quantum mechanics: “superposition,” in which a quantum system can exist in multiple states simultaneously until it is observed.

This fundamental concept of quantum mechanics distinguishes it from classical mechanics.

But Schrödinger’s cat has also become a widely known symbol of the strangeness of quantum mechanics. It has helped to bring complex scientific concepts to the attention of a wider public and to stimulate interest in the field.

And that’s exactly what this episode is about: How we can approach the worlds of quantum mechanics.