12 Issues for the Future
245
An experiment [6] has been proposed to trap a virus in a vacuum, then
slow down the virus’s movement until it resides in its lowest possible energy
state. A laser can then be used to target the virus with a single photon and
excite it into a superposition of two states, one where it is moving, and one
where it is not. The philosophical implications of an experiment such as
this are far-reaching, particularly if it can be applied to even larger living
organisms, such as bacteria and tardigrades (water-bears). The authors of
the proposal suggest that such an experiment will be a starting point for
addressing the role of life and consciousness in quantum mechanics.
Einstein meets with Schrödinger and Heisenberg, and all parties agree to
disagree
The remaining interface is where small particles are moving at high speeds in
strong gravitational fields. We simply do not know what physics to apply in
this region. It is truly a domain where in medieval times a “here be lions” sign
would have been erected to warn brave souls venturing into this territory that
they do so at their peril. Unfortunately however, it is not a region that can
simply be dismissed as unimportant, for somewhere within its boundaries lies
the origin of the universe.
12.5 Entanglement and Quantum Computing
(QC)
The concept of Quantum Entanglement (QE) has already been discussed in
Chap. 5, and is surely one of the most intriguing results of QM, with a weirdness that mystified even Einstein. Hence, some readers may wonder why we
return to it here in Part 3, where our concern is with future developments of
our chosen topic (i.e. physics). The reason is that in the case of QE, a clear
demarcation between past and future research, i.e. between what has already
been acquired as common wisdom and what can more suitably be defined as
current research, cannot easily be defined.
In fact, even after many decades, QE still lies at the frontier of research for
several reasons. First, new experiments are currently being carried out with
the purpose of not only demonstrating the effect, but of visualising it. A paper
[7], published by a team of physicists from the University of Glasgow, led
by Dr. Paul-Antoine Moreau, describes an imaging process that enables the
245
An experiment [6] has been proposed to trap a virus in a vacuum, then
slow down the virus’s movement until it resides in its lowest possible energy
state. A laser can then be used to target the virus with a single photon and
excite it into a superposition of two states, one where it is moving, and one
where it is not. The philosophical implications of an experiment such as
this are far-reaching, particularly if it can be applied to even larger living
organisms, such as bacteria and tardigrades (water-bears). The authors of
the proposal suggest that such an experiment will be a starting point for
addressing the role of life and consciousness in quantum mechanics.
Einstein meets with Schrödinger and Heisenberg, and all parties agree to
disagree
The remaining interface is where small particles are moving at high speeds in
strong gravitational fields. We simply do not know what physics to apply in
this region. It is truly a domain where in medieval times a “here be lions” sign
would have been erected to warn brave souls venturing into this territory that
they do so at their peril. Unfortunately however, it is not a region that can
simply be dismissed as unimportant, for somewhere within its boundaries lies
the origin of the universe.
12.5 Entanglement and Quantum Computing
(QC)
The concept of Quantum Entanglement (QE) has already been discussed in
Chap. 5, and is surely one of the most intriguing results of QM, with a weirdness that mystified even Einstein. Hence, some readers may wonder why we
return to it here in Part 3, where our concern is with future developments of
our chosen topic (i.e. physics). The reason is that in the case of QE, a clear
demarcation between past and future research, i.e. between what has already
been acquired as common wisdom and what can more suitably be defined as
current research, cannot easily be defined.
In fact, even after many decades, QE still lies at the frontier of research for
several reasons. First, new experiments are currently being carried out with
the purpose of not only demonstrating the effect, but of visualising it. A paper
[7], published by a team of physicists from the University of Glasgow, led
by Dr. Paul-Antoine Moreau, describes an imaging process that enables the