10 Biggest Questions Raised by Quantum Physics

By Martha Barksdale, Discovery website

The one thing you can say with any certainty about quantum physics is that there is no
certainty about quantum physics. During the first part of the 20th century, physicists and
mathematicians turned their minds to the study of the unseen components of our world: atoms,
electrons and even subatomic particles. While the laws of physics worked reliably in the larger
sphere -- a dropped object always falls down, two objects can't occupy the same space at the
same time and so on -- these scientists were perplexed to discover that this new physics seemed
to be a law unto itself. Physicist Max Planck called the tiny particles of light he was studying
quanta, and he came to realize that light isn't a continuous wave, but exists with an arbitrary
amount, or quanta, of energy. Thus the term "quantum physics" was born.
The baffling part about quantum physics is that unlike its inflexible forebear, classical
physics, the rules keep changing and the results of an experiment or equation can't be predicted.
Often, physicists are as shocked by the results as anyone. Sometimes, the theories can't be proved
except by imaginary experiments. After more than a century, quantum physics continues to be a
source of mystery and amazement.
Quantum physics, a mysterious science studying the unseen particles that make up our
world, raises a lot of tricky questions.

10. Does anybody really understand quantum physics?

In a word, no. Standard physics is predictable in that everything works the same way, all
the time. In the world of standard physics, if you throw a ball, you know in what direction it will
go. In the bizarre world of quantum physics, that ball could wind up anywhere. It could even
disappear and reappear again years from now. But while some principles of quantum physics
make your head hurt -- parallel universes come to mind -- physicists do understand enough of
some principles of quantum physics to come up with some practical applications. It's kind of like
operating a car -- you don't have to know how it works mechanically in order to drive to the
store. All of this doesn't mean that there aren't ways to prove the principles of quantum physics.
Keep reading to discover the creative methods scientists have developed to explain their theories.

9. How do you prove what you can't see?

Scientists test theories about things they can't see by coming up with experiments that
could show them the result, even if they can't see what's going on during the process. Many
times, this must be a hypothetical problem that doesn't really have a solution, but rather serves as
an example to help the researchers reason out possible scenarios. Schrodinger's Cat is probably
the most famous example, but there are countless others. Some of these "thought experiments"
couldn't be carried out when they were developed, but now we have the technology to perform
them, and, more often than not, the early theories have proven correct. Often, the answer lies in a
mathematical equation. Those who work with quantum physics have learned to try all
possibilities, even those that seem improbable. Planck discovered the existence of the photon
through just such an act of desperation.
Schrodinger's Cat
A cat is placed in a steel box along with a Geiger counter, a vial of poison, a hammer, and
a radioactive substance. When the radioactive substance decays, the Geiger detects it and triggers
the hammer to release the poison, which subsequently kills the cat. The radioactive decay is a
random process, and there is no way to predict when it will happen. Physicists say the atom
exists in a state known as a superposition—both decayed and not decayed at the same time. Until
the box is opened, an observer doesn't know whether the cat is alive or dead—because the cat's
fate is intrinsically tied to whether or not the atom has decayed and the cat would, as Schrödinger
put it, be "living and dead ... in equal parts" until it is observed.

8. How can you be certain about anything that has an "Uncertainty Principal" at its core?
The Uncertainty Principle, which says that more than one aspect of a particle cannot be
measured simultaneously, illustrates one of several major differences between quantum physics
and classical physics. This idea, first presented by Heisenberg, takes into account that a
miniscule bit of material can be either a particle or a wave, depending on the circumstance.
Actually, it is neither, until someone looks at it or an experiment forces it to pick sides. This
means that a number of qualities aren't defined. If a scientist measures the speed of a particle, for
instance, he can't measure position very accurately; it's as though quantifying one aspect puts the
other aspects more out of focus. Physicists know this and try to compensate for it in their
experiments. Still, the word "uncertainty" is there for a reason. Some physicists say this is not a
principle at all and instead prefer to call the concept "uncertainty relations".
When will transporters be invented?
Quantum physics fans were thrilled when, in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next
Generation," a character referred to the Heisenberg Compensator as a way of explaining how the
famed transporters worked. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is one reason why transporters
are far, far (if ever) in our future, since it states that you can't know position and momentum
simultaneously. And that would be a problem if you're being beamed molecule by molecule from
the Enterprise and reassembled on the surface of a strange planet.

7. Are we close to proving the theories of Planck, Bohr and Heisenberg?

We can prove Bohr's Copenhagen Interpretation through the Double Slit Experiment,
which calls for you to create a wall with two holes in it and another wall behind. Light projected
on the front wall will travel through both holes and form a consistent pattern on the back wall.
When one particle is shot at the wall, it will create a different pattern. This is exactly what it
should do since it can only travel through one hole at a time. But this is only if someone's
watching. If no one is observing the particle, the pattern created is the same as if the particle
were going through both holes. This is a practical representation of the theoretical Schrodinger's
Cat problem.
 In another practical proof of the Copenhagen Interpretation, quantum cryptography
protects encoded information from hackers by altering the data if someone accesses it.
More Uncertainty
To illustrate the uncertainty principal, Heisenberg imagined using a microscope to focus
on the momentum and position of an electron and concluded that he couldn't. Albert Einstein
also had a tough time accepting some of the principles of quantum physics. His Box of Light was
a thought experiment designed to disprove the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, but using
Einstein's own Theory of Relativity, Niels Bohr shot down the box experiment.

6. How exact is the math that determines probability?

Since we've gotten this far with just probabilities and bizarre truths, why would you think
the mathematics involved in quantum physics would be normal? Of course it's not. The first
mathematics used in quantum physics was based on matrices, or grids of numbers, but just a few
weeks after those matrices were published, Schrodinger published his system of wave
mathematics. Results for both types of math turned out to be comparable. However, experiments
with Bohr in Copenhagen proved that the waves were not continuous. The particles jumped from
one quantum state to another, leading Schrodinger to remark, "Had I known that we were not
going to get rid of this damned quantum jumping, I never would have involved myself in this
business".
A branch of quantum physics called quantum electrodynamics poses another kind of
problem as it attempts to explain electromagnetic interaction. When wave mathematics is used,
you get an electron with infinite mass and energy. This isn't possible, but there's no way to get
rid of the result, so the physicists just settle on an answer they think is correct.

5. How solid is string theory?

String theory, sometimes called "the theory of everything," proposes to provide a unified
theory of the structure of everything in the universe. In string theory, a particle, instead of being
a point, is a string, which can oscillate in many directions. If it oscillates one way, we call it an
electron; if it oscillates another way, we say it's a proton. The possibilities are endless.
Critics make several arguments against string theory, although few are calling for it to be
abandoned entirely. Some people call string theory into question because the string theorists can't
make a prediction and then formulate an experiment to prove its validity. Others say that the true
science behind string theory has been exaggerated. Some critics have even gone so far as to call
the string theorists a cult.

4. How can quantum physics concepts be used for good?

Even though quantum physics is still full of surprises, researchers are using some of its
concepts to create new technologies that can be used to better the world. That "fasten your
seatbelt" light on airplanes may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to quantum turbulence
experiments conducted by researchers in Brazil. As we've discussed, quantum cryptography can
safeguard data on computers, while quantum computing will help those computers run faster.
 An aspect of quantum physics called entanglement -- the quantum interconnection of
atoms separated by distance -- may help make solar energy more accessible. Scientists have also
discovered that algae may use quantum mechanics to store energy in two places at once, perhaps
setting an example for how we can use quantum principles even if we don't understand them.
The field of medicine, both traditional and alternative, offers many possibilities for the use of
quantum physics concepts, from the identification of cancer cells to promoting healing energies
through prayer.

3. How are particle accelerators helping study and control particles?

It seems ironic that the largest and most expensive pieces of scientific equipment are used
to study the tiniest and most basic components of the universe. Particle accelerators, sometimes
called atom smashers or colliders, push particles to the speed of light and shoot them through a
tube into an electric field. Magnetic forces control the paths of the particles, and each eventually
collides with a still target or another moving particle. Scientists analyze the wreckage after the
collision.
Work with accelerated particles is helping physicists develop a list of the particles that
make up the nuclei of atoms. They've already discovered several hundred and say someday this
list will be as valuable as the periodic table is to chemistry. Eventually, they hope to get to the
heart of the universe by mimicking conditions when the universe was formed. Scientists have
learned more about the subatomic world through work with particle accelerators than through
any other means. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world's largest particle accelerator, is
underground below the border between France and Switzerland. The first proton-proton
collisions in the LHC took place in 2009. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear
Research, operates the LHC.

2. How do parallel universes work?

Ever wonder what your life would have been like if you'd had the nerve to ask the head
cheerleader to the prom? What if you'd majored in business instead of getting an art degree?
What would the world be like today if the Axis powers had been victorious in World War II?
The answers to all these questions exist in the world of quantum physics. In fact, you're
living those lives. In the quantum world, there are no missed opportunities.
While we don't know the technicalities of how parallel universes work, most quantum
physicists believe they exist. The parallel universe theory says everything freezes during
observation, then splits. Every choice is taken, leading to an infinite number of universes. An
experiment reported in the spring of 2010 seems to indicate this. Researchers at the University of
California – Santa Barbara isolated a tiny tuning fork, struck it and observed that it moved and
stood still at the same time. They say it's proof that observing an object and action splits the
universe into two parts -- one we can see and one we can't. Scientists are trying to figure out how
to get from the world we will enter into the one we won't.

1. What is the spiritual aspect of quantum physics?

 Throughout history, humans -- whether through shamans invoking animal spirits or
priests using the rites of the Christian church -- have believed that the spirit world can influence
events on Earth. Now, scientific studies are showing that our thoughts may indeed create our
own reality. Bohr said reality was dependent on an "observer effect," that observation can
influence events. While many scientists discounted this idea, recent experiments are showing that
it may have some merit. The repetitive words and actions of a religious service may alter reality,
the studies show, and the more people who observe and participate in these rites, the more
powerful the waves of energy produced, confirming what the faithful say they've known all
along.
The Search for the God Particle
The most sought-after thing in the world, the answer to that eternal question, "What is at
the heart of the universe?" may be the Higgs boson -- sometimes referred to as the "God
particle." Scientists believe this is what gives mass to fundamental particles like electrons, quarks
and gluons, and that it must pervade all space. It could explain how the universe was formed, but
so far, its existence is just a theory. The Large Hadron Collider could possibly be the means to
find it.