Quantum Mechanics

Quantum Mechanics

A man in a suit and tie is pointing to a quantum computer.
11mins
Theoretical physics professor Michio Kaku outlines the evolution of computers from analog to digital and introduces quantum computers as the next frontier.
standard model structure
Some constants, like the speed of light, exist with no underlying explanation. How many "fundamental constants" does our Universe require?
A man exploring quantum computing in a room with red lights.
Nature may not allow us full access to the weirdness of quantum mechanics.
A metal railing supporting a white basket.
LK-99, almost certainly, isn't a room-temperature superconductor. The underlying physics of the phenomenon helps us understand why.
An artist's rendering of a neutron star in space.
Ultracold gases in the lab could help scientists better understand the universe.
pink floyd's dark side with a touch of light.
Invisible cloaks. Ghost imaging. Scientists are manipulating light in ways that were once only science fiction.
A woman utilizing her intuition examines the universe through a telescope against a pink backdrop.
Scientists can make substantial progress without fully understanding exactly what they're doing.
quantum tunneling instantaneous
Some processes, like quantum tunneling, have been shown to occur instantaneously. But the ultimate cosmic speed limit remains unavoidable.
A pi symbol is shown on a white background representing real mathematical concepts.
Is mathematics woven into the very fabric of reality? Or is it merely a product of the human mind?
proton internal structure
If we waited long enough, would even protons themselves decay? The far future stability of the Universe depends on it.
a blue circle surrounded by red lines on a white background.
Neuroscientist and author Bobby Azarian explores the idea that the Universe is a self-organizing system that evolves and learns.
zeeman splitting
If light can't be bent by electric or magnetic fields (and it can't), then how do the Zeeman and Stark effects split atomic energy levels?
warp field stars
The concept of ‘relativistic mass’ has been around almost as long as relativity has. But is it a reasonable way to make sense of things?
a black and white photo of stars in the sky.
Perhaps the whole Universe is the result of a vacuum fluctuation, originating from what we could call quantum nothingness. 
a hand is holding a ball with a model of the solar system.
42mins
Sabine Hossenfelder talks about Albert Einstein, dead grandmothers, the physics of aging, and more in this full interview with Big Think.
black hole
Einstein's relativity overthrew the notion of absolute space and time, replacing them with a spacetime fabric. But is spacetime truly real?
atom
Quantum uncertainty and wave-particle duality are big features of quantum physics. But without Pauli's rule, our Universe wouldn't exist.
a silhouette of a person with a rainbow in the background.
You are an energy field — but not the “chakras” or “auras” kind.
quantum superposition
With a massive, charged nucleus orbited by tiny electrons, atoms are such simple objects. Miraculously, they make up everything we know.
wormholes
Leading a scientific revolution is easy: you just have to succeed where the current theory fails while equaling its successes. Good luck!
a group of open doors in front of a blue sky.
The multiverse is an idea that has gained a lot of traction in popular culture. But what does science have to say about it?
an astronaut contemplates a black hole
That scary swirling void from which nothing can escape is our perfect universal translation tool.
DUNE neutrino detectors
If there are three neutrino species, all with different masses, then how is energy conserved when they oscillate from one flavor to another?
quantum entanglement qubit ER = EPR
Two very different ideas, wormholes and quantum entanglement, might be fundamentally related. What would "ER = EPR" mean for our Universe?
time crystal entangled electron spin
Even with quantum teleportation and the existence of entangled quantum states, faster-than-light communication still remains impossible.
5mins
Is science close to explaining everything about our Universe? Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder reacts.