Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 177 | Monika Schleier-Smith on Cold Atoms and Emergent Spacetime
Dec 13, 2021
Monika Schleier-Smith, an experimental physicist at Stanford, explores the fascinating realm of cold atoms and their implications in quantum mechanics. She discusses how cooling atoms enables precise manipulation and entanglement, leading to breakthroughs in quantum computing. The conversation dives into the challenges of measuring entanglement, innovations in experimental setups, and the connections between quantum gravity and information scrambling in black holes. Monika's insights shine a light on the practical applications of these complex theories.
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Non-Local Information in Quantum Mechanics
- Quantum mechanics' most revolutionary aspect is that information doesn't have to exist locally.
- Entanglement, where information is hidden in correlations between quantum bits, demonstrates this non-locality.
Entanglement's Importance
- Entanglement is crucial to modern quantum mechanics experiments and theory.
- Undergraduate quantum mechanics courses should prioritize entanglement earlier.
Quantum Effects at Macroscopic Scales
- Quantum weirdness isn't observed in everyday life because uncertainties are tiny compared to macroscopic scales.
- Quantum phenomena become apparent at smaller scales where quantum effects dominate.