Why your squash ball doesn't exist in two places at once
In short: If our world followed quantum rules, you might sit on every chair in a room simultaneously until someone looked. Yet, the laws of physics apply to everything—from electrons to mountains. The reason your reality feels solid is due to a chaotic process called decoherence.
Quantum mechanics dictates that objects like photons or atoms exist in a 'superposition,' meaning they occupy multiple positions at once until an interaction occurs. This behavior is described by the Schrödinger equation's wave function, which maps out all possible states—like position and momentum—as probabilities. In this realm, particles can even perform 'quantum tunneling,' where they pass through solid barriers because their wave functions extend into all of spacetime.
The reason we don't see these absurdities in daily life is not because the laws change at larger scales; rather, the effects become negligible. A typical squash ball contains nearly 10^15 atoms. Because each atom acts like a wave, and these trillions of waves act in disorganized, random ways, they interfere with one another and average out to zero. This phenomenon is known as 'decoherence.' To see macro-scale quantum behavior, you would need all those quadrillions of individual waves to remain coherent and behave as one single large wave.
However, the boundary between the tiny and the tangible is shifting. Researchers at the University of Vienna recently demonstrated that sodium nanoparticles containing 5,000 to 10,000 atoms can still exhibit quantum interference. These clusters, measuring roughly 8 nanometers across with masses exceeding 170,000 atomic mass units, are heavier than most proteins. By using ultracold temperatures and ultraviolet lasers, scientists proved that even these 'large' lumps of metal can exist in a superposition, following multiple paths simultaneously.
These experiments confirm that quantum mechanics remains valid without needing alternative models for larger objects. While decoherence usually hides these effects, specific conditions—like those used to create superconductors or Bose-Einstein condensates—can preserve coherence. We are learning that the 'classical' world is simply a result of overwhelming complexity masking a fundamentally quantum reality.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The ABSURDITY of Quantum Mechanics at LARGE SCALES!
- Also: Scientists put a tiny lump of metal in two places at once in record-breaking quantum experiment
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