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Schrödinger's Cat
- Schrödinger wrote to Einstein about a cat in a box with poison gas, asking if it's alive or dead.
- This thought experiment illustrated the quantum mechanics principle of superposition, where a particle can exist in multiple states until observed.
Quantum vs. Classical Mechanics
- Classical mechanics, from Isaac Newton, views the world as a predictable clockwork mechanism.
- Quantum mechanics suggests a different reality where particles exist in multiple states until measured, challenging this predictable view.
The Atom's Structure
- Early 20th-century scientists struggled to understand the structure of atoms, as the planetary model was flawed.
- Electrons orbiting a nucleus like planets would collapse, contradicting the stability of atoms.