Schrödinger's Cat Paradox Explained

A Quantum Conundrum of Feline Fuzziness

Warning: This content is not actually about a cat, but rather about a thought experiment that has been cat-napped by physicists.

In the realm of quantum mechanics, Schrödinger's cat is a thought-provoking thought experiment created by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. The paradox states that a cat, placed in a sealed box with a radioactive atom and a Geiger counter, a vial of poison, and a hammer, can be both alive and dead at the same time.

This, of course, is not a real cat, but rather a metaphor for the uncertainty principle. But don't worry, we've got some cat pictures to make it more palatable.

Here's a picture of a cat:

Or, here's a picture of a cat with a thought bubble:

Or, if you'd like, here's a picture of a cat in a box:

See more cat pictures Read about Quantum Superposition of Schrödinger Cats Learn about the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Schrödinger Cats