Schrödinger and Snowbell
We all picture Schrödinger’s cat as a bizarre creature, half-dead and half-alive. Science memes have this feline more than Elon Musk has Dogecoin, but did you know the cat is entirely fictional? Curious about the real Schrödinger? Buckle up for a fantastical tale!
Disclaimer: This is a fun reimagining of the Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment. Take it with a lighthearted spirit!
Long ago, a kind, middle-aged warlock named Eldwin cherished his beautiful white cat, Snowbell. He loved Snowbell more than anything. Eldwin had a cunning twin brother, Maldwin, who harbored a grudge against the mighty Thor Odinson. To gain power over his nemesis, Maldwin concocted a potent potion — but it required a feline ingredient. One day, while Eldwin was away, Maldwin seized the opportunity to steal Snowbell for his nefarious plan.
To imbue the potion with power surpassing Thor’s hammer, Snowbell would have to be exposed to a radioactive element. Maldwin placed the cat in a mysterious box with the radioactive material, triggering a mechanism to release poison if the element decayed. However, the contraption only functioned if the box remained sealed. This meant Maldwin wouldn’t know Snowbell’s fate until he opened it.
Upon learning of the abduction, the distraught Eldwin pleaded with Thor for help. Initially hesitant due to an ongoing battle with the Midgard Serpent, Thor agreed to intervene due to his close friendship with Eldwin. Unable to contain his impatience, Maldwin reached for the box, but was stopped by his brother and Thor. A fierce battle ensued. In the chaos, Thor’s hammer struck the boiling potion, causing a cataclysmic explosion that obliterated the entire planet. No living being survived. Miraculously, the sealed box remained unscathed, adrift in the vast emptiness of space for eternity…
END OF THE STORY!
So, what happened to Snowbell? The answer lies in the concept of superposition. In quantum mechanics, tiny particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously until observed. This means the cat could be both alive and dead at the same time, as long as the box remains unopened and no one observes its state.
Is this a sad ending? It depends on your perspective. In our everyday world, this scenario wouldn’t hold true. Quantum mechanics explains that a probability wave function or superposition state exists for microscopic objects. When there’s no observer, this state persists. However, observing the system “collapses” the wave function into a single outcome. In our story, the cat’s fate (dead or alive) depends on the radioactive atom’s decay and the presence of an observer.
Now, imagine yourself as the cat. You wouldn’t experience being “both” dead and alive. This is because superposition doesn’t apply to your frame of reference. You, as a macroscopic being, inherently “observe” the world around you, including the radioactive atom’s decay.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The fates of the cat and the radioactive atom become entangled. Knowing one’s state tells you the other’s, regardless of distance. We call this phenomenon “quantum entanglement,” which Einstein famously referred to as “spooky action at a distance.” Physicists do have a way with words, don’t they?
This thought experiment originated with Dr. Erwin Schrödinger. Interestingly, he was frustrated by its implications and even switched fields from physics to biology! Who knew this “thought trash” would become the foundation for mind-blowing ideas like parallel universes, quantum computing, and cryptography!
Moral of the story: Never underestimate anything, especially the potential of your curious cat ;)
