Schrödinger's cat

Schrödinger's cat is a quantum-mechanics thought experiment devised by physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935. It describes a hypothetical cat in a sealed box whose fate is linked to a random subatomic event. Until the box is observed, the cat may be considered both alive and dead in a quantum superposition. The scenario was intended to illustrate problems Schrödinger saw in certain philosophical views of quantum mechanics and is used in discussions of the measurement problem.

Type

Thought experiment concerning quantum superposition

Devised by

Erwin Schrödinger, 1935

Original setup

A cat, poison flask, and radioactive source in a sealed box