What is Quantum? [Quantum Explora 2022]
What is Quantum? , a quantum in simple words is the smallest unit of any phenomenon. For example, quantum of light is photon and similarly quantum of electricity is electron. So, quantum physics is basically the study of these quanta in detail. It is the study of atoms and sub-atomic particles. This branch of science is basically the investigation and study of the behavior of matter and activities taking place in atoms in order to understand the smallest things in nature. Many of the phenomenon that occur at a level this tiny are highly non-intuitive and seem completely out of the world and as if they are taken from fantasy science fiction book. Even the smartest of scientists have trouble in understanding them. Things that happen on atomic level seem to belong in science fiction, but experiments have proven that these things actually happen. One such thing is the ‘Many-Worlds’ theory according to which there may be different parallel universes in which there are outcomes different from ours. That is so cool!! I mean there could be world where Lebron James is not a NBA superstar but a professional footballer. It’s as if this topic is taken straight from the movie Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in which Dr. Strange travels different universes in order to maintain peace of the multiverse. I would really love to meet different versions of myself in different universes. All this sounds so unbelievable!! Many Worlds theory comes from thinking very deeply about what happens in the world of quanta. So it wasn't just "made up" because it sounds cool. The theory starts with the fact which physicists have known for about many years now: Tiny quantum particles, such as atoms, electrons, and photons can exist in more than one place at the same time through a phenomenon known as quantum superposition. Quantum Physics just keeps getting cooler and cooler; I mean this is like the ‘shadow clone jutsu’ of Naruto (from the show Naruto).These tiny quantum particles can in fact be at all their possible places at the Same time. And they do this up until the point at which a measuring device makes a measurement on them (i.e. observe them). Once this happens their location becomes localized and they are found in just one place, which is precisely what we expect intuitively! For example, let's imagine that I am a quantum particle and you want to find where I am. Now let's say there is a 70% chance that I am at the cinemas, a 20% chance that I am at my friend's house, and a 10% chance that I am at the mall. According to quantum physics, before you go looking for me at one of these places I will be in all of these places at the same time. But at the instant you look for me in any of these places I will suddenly be at only one of these places. So if you look for me at, say, the mall I will, at that instant, be at the cinmas, or at my friend's house, or at the mall. And as mentioned, the probability of you finding me at the cinemas is 70%, the probability of you finding me at my friend's house is 20%, and the probability of you finding me at the mall is 10%. The simple act of you looking for me is a form of observation and this is what causes me to be at only one of these places. It’s like naruto releases his shadow cone jutsu and suddenly disappears from all the places and be at that one place where the villain looking for him isn’t looking. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But this is just about the crazy I can tolerate for now. Overall quantum Physics is very cool and interesting.
~ Pratham Goel