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Gloriathewitch t1_j9o4n3x wrote

Reply to comment by adisharr in Google announces major breakthrough that represents ‘significant shift’ in quantum computers by Ezekiel_W

Now you're starting to get quantum mechanics!

Basically, the whole point is it's impossible to understand (currently)

The way these things work is very bizarre.

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eXponentiamusic t1_j9o5zqk wrote

The thing about quantum mechanics is that you both understand it and don't understand it at the same time. Until a new article comes out and then your position collapses.

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commenterzero t1_j9oer7p wrote

Thats a good observation and so that's probably your problem

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OrokaSempai t1_j9od3ub wrote

Pretty sure I read an article recently that explained quantum entanglement and it boiled down to math works different on the quantum scale, and in quantum math if you know 1 of 4 properties of a pair of entangled quantum particles, you can reason out an answer the same way we can figure out a property by knowing 3 of 4 properties. It's like trying to visualize infinity or a 4D object, our brains are not wired to conceive quantum math. It doesn't make sense because to us because it doesn't make sense in our corner of space time.

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night___light t1_j9oly8f wrote

Sounds similar to the quantum theory I’m learning about in my Chemistry class. Schrodinger’s cat.

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OrokaSempai t1_j9pabbz wrote

Shroddingers cat is about viewing a quantum particle changes the outcome, because everything we can measure with is way WAY bigger than the quantum particle. It's literally like investigating an ant with a marble, every time you touch the ant, the marble changes the properties of the ant somehow, speed, position, direction... so you can't get detailed info on the ant.

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Ieatclowns t1_j9p1w27 wrote

Forgive me for asking but how do they work on it if it's impossible to understand?

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futuneral t1_j9psbdl wrote

You can make a paper airplane without knowing anything about fluid dynamics. It could be crappy. You try making different variants and finally arrive at a good design, and even come up with a folding formula for the best airplane. All without having to understand how fluid dynamics works.

"No one understands quantum mechanics" is a bit of a meme. Scientists have a good grasp on principles, the math there actually provides some of the most precise predictions we've ever seen. What's not known is "why" and "what does this mean". The "shut up and calculate" motto works really well for coming up with solutions for practical applications. The philosophy of it is lagging behind though. And many in the field only care about this while having beers at the bar on Tuesdays.

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djmevans t1_j9pv505 wrote

I wish I could give you an award but I can't at the moment. You definitely deserve one for the thorough and easy to understand answer to genuine confusion.

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riceandcashews t1_j9pwgqo wrote

QM is relatively straightforward. The concept is this: particles don't actually have a position or spin or charge or mass or velocity. Instead there are different probabilities that we will observe a spin/charge/mass/velocity at various positions. There are 'dense' areas of probability where there is high likelihood to observe the particle/property and there are 'light' areas of probability where there is low likelihood to observe the particle property. You can think of these 'dense' and 'light' regions as crests and troughs of a wave. And just like water waves can interfere with each other (a big crest and a big trough cancel out in water, etc), so to can probability waves. As a result, instead of interacting 'classically' as objects, the quantum observations we make interact as waves of probability that can interact with each other like waves, resulting in all kinds of complex interference.

If that makes sense?

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BIGELLLOW t1_j9qlcx1 wrote

It's not that it's not understood, but not fully understood. For instance, you can know enough about gravity to be able to regularly predict the path of a thrown ball or to figure out how much thrust is needed for orbit without fully knowing how gravity is "communicated" over the vastness of space.

Enough is known about quantum entanglement for us to build computers using the phenomenon, even if there are still plenty of things about quantum physics we still don't fully comprehend.

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EstelleWinwood t1_j9pk3fc wrote

This is very wrong..it is certainly possible to understand quantum mechanics even conceptually. How could we be making quantum computers if no one understands quantum mechanics. It is just a ridiculous statement on the face of it.

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