Some may ask, “Can I understand quantum mechanics?”
No. No one else does either. Why should you be different. We don’t understand how TV works. We just turn it on and enjoy watching fascinating shows. Do we really understand radio, microwaves, morse code, or anything else? Not really.
But our ignorance doesn’t stop us from using them to the full.
Why must we understand quantum mechanics? Just read this article and you will eventually be in position to use it to your own advantage.
Quantum
What is a quantum? Let’s proceed from the known to the unknown. We know a square. It has four sides, height and width.
Next a three-dimensional object has three planes, height, length and width. Thus far all the planes are fixed and stagnant.
When we add a fourth dimension, what do we have? We have added time, always in a state of flux. How do we picture that? Since time never stops, how do we picture the composite? A sphere. Yes a ball with data embedded in all sections of it.
The word quantum has an origin.
The word quantum comes from the Latin word quantus, which is an interrogative adjective that means "how much" or "an amount". The earliest known use of the word was in 1567 by John Jewel, the bishop of Salisbury.
Believe it or not, knowing a few things about black holes takes us closer to our goals of understanding something about quantum mechanics.
Black Holes
Though mysterious in its own right, this fascinating subject helps lead us to a sketchy understanding of some features of quantum mechanics.
We know that black holes aren’t that rare. They sit, for example, at the center of our galaxy, and, as far as we can tell, most if not all galaxies.
At first scientists said nothing can and does escape from black holes. Such notions come with an Achilles heal, thanks to the groundbreaking work of Stephen Hawking. We now know that radiation does escape black holes.
Many black holes are as old as the universe. They can still be vanquished, doomed by the physics of quantum physics.
How so?
What is quantum physics? It arose as a solution to a problem. The margins between quantum waves and quantum particles have narrowed. The squeezed out answer is a new kind of quantum.
About 100 years ago, scientists met to discuss the problem of quantum mechanics. Classical physics is a clockwork universe. It was predictable. Quantum mechanics discard the clockwork physics. Chance now reigns. Einstein said that God does not throw dice. He believed in the utter predictability of matter, not random chance as we have learned from quantum mechanics, speaking in the most general of terms. This is not the chance we commonly discuss.
It enables us to know what happens to particles while we are not observing it. Exact waves can only probably be positioned.
Superposition, it turns out, is a combination of all the possible positions. This discussion is all outside the realm of what quantum is. It remains deeply unintuitive. It is the most revolutionary discovery. Our sense of time is intertwined with music and dance, say the tango, for example. This phenomenon closely resembles quantum physics.
Machines measured atomic loss. That’s why atomic clocks are so widely used today. The sun’s movement is precise and predictable.
We once used pendulums to measure time. Atomic clocks use the laws of physics that don’t change.
So atomic time is a universally defined time unit. It depends on the quantum physics of electrons. It can only be at certain energy levels. Photon resonates a certain frequency and it’s locked in the frequency of an electronic wave. This wave has 9 billion oscillations a second.
GPS
We need precise timepieces to use GPS. There are more than 30 satellites in use. Each receiver uses four satellites. Cellphones use the time from satellites. The whole system depends on knowing the precise time and location.
The atomic clock has permeated everywhere in modern life.
The next step in timekeeping
Optical atomic clocks use lasers. A quantum pendulum makes one million oscillations a second. That is 100,000 times more precise. Gravitational time dilation complicates this operation. The warping of space time adds another level of confusion. Gravity varies and so does time as a result.
If a clock is elevated the width of a hair, time is distorted. This highlights the dire need for more accurate timekeeping that optical atomic clocks furnish.
Laser is ultra stable. Such light is not found in nature. Lasers are everywhere today. Stimulated emissions is the operative catch phrase. Laser tunnels have one mirror on each end. This allows a minuscule amount of light to escape. This pure light measures distance, even tiny variations in space and time. Yes, even ripples in space can create gravitational waves.
This precise timekeeping results in the most direct observation of black holes ever. Lasers keep improving, getting better and better. By means of them we can see deep into space. A shared state called quantum entanglement can now be studied.
Entanglement
A machine can flip two coins at the same time. Strangely, both land simultaneously on heads, then on tails. Scientists called their complicated relationship entanglement.
In a lab the two coins share movement that acts as one entity. The result is spooky actions even at a distance. It is undeniable, and powerful. The US government has invested $100s of millions on this phenomenon. Its predictability is stunning. Now scientists try to use it.
Binary is old. Computers use zeros and ones to perform all the functions on your modern PC.
The new computing concept involves cubits or spheres. And its all about maximum speed, breakneck speed. All parts of the sphere contains data that can be deciphered and used. If one sphere is good, 100 is better, and a 1,000 is better still. So the race is on to see how many spheres can be built into a computer. Using very many cubits together opens the door to great discoveries and speed. The Thomas J Watson center in New York City is testing this premise to the limit.
Standby and prepare to be dazzled.
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