Schrödinger's cat - a famous thought experiment.He put the celebrated Nobel laureate in physics - Austrian scientist Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger.
essence of the experiment was as follows.In a closed chamber (box) was placed cat.The box is equipped with a mechanism that contains a radioactive core and poisonous gas.The parameters are chosen so that the probability of nuclear decay in one hour is exactly fifty percent.If the nucleus disintegrates, the mechanism will come into effect starting container of poisonous gas.Consequently, the Schrödinger's cat dies.
According to the laws of quantum mechanics, if you do not observe the nucleus, its status will be described on the principle of superposition of two basic states - nuclei decayed and not decayed.And here there is a paradox: Schrodinger's cat, which is sitting in a box, can be dead and alive at the same time.But if you open the box, the experimenter sees only one particular state.Or "core collapsed, and the cat is dead" or "core was split, and Schrödinger's cat is alive."
Logically, at the output we will have one of two things: either a live cat or a dead one.But potentially the animal is in both states at once.Schrodinger tried thus prove their opinion about the limitations of quantum mechanics.
In the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics, and in particular of this experiment, a cat in one of his prospective phase (dead-alive) acquires these properties only after the process will not interfere in the outside observer.But this observer is not (here refers to the presence of a particular person, which has advantages in the form of clarity of vision and consciousness), the cat will be in limbo "between life and death."
famous old proverb that the cat walks by himself, gets in the context of this experiment, new, interesting shades.
By Everett many-worlds interpretation, which is markedly different from the classical Copenhagen, the monitoring process is not considered to be something special.Both states, which may be a cat Schrodinger, this interpretation may exist.But they decohere each other.This means that the unity of these states will be broken just the same as a result of interaction with the outside world.That observer who opens the box, and upset the status of the cat.
It is believed that the final word in this matter should be left for such a creature as Schrödinger's cat.The meaning of such an opinion - acceptance of the fact is the fact that throughout this experiment, it is the only animal completely competent observer.For example, scientists Max Tegmark, Bruno Marshal Hans Moravia presented a modification of the above experiment, where the main point of view is the opinion of the cat.In this case, Schrödinger's cat is sure to survive because observe the results can only survivor of a cat.But scientist Nadav Katz published his results in which he was able to "return" the state of a particle back after changing its status.Thus, the chances of survival increase significantly the cat.
