What's up with the CAT in the BOX - Schrödingers cat EXPLAINED #physics #science #quantum #nerd #cat

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]You might have heard of Schrodinger's cat.

[00:00:03]The idea that a cat can both somehow be alive and not alive at the same time.

[00:00:10]As an astrophysicist, I'm going to explain what this means.

[00:00:15]Schrodinger's cat was proposed by physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935 as a thought experiment to show how weird quantum mechanics is.

[00:00:25]The idea is this.

[00:00:27]Imagine a sealed box containing a cat, a radioactive atom, and a device that will release a poison if that atom undergoes radioactive decay.

[00:00:37]According to quantum mechanics, until the atom interacts with the outside world, its behavior can be described as a superposition.

[00:00:45]That means multiple possible outcomes exist at the same time.

[00:00:50]Now, the entire system, including the cat, is linked to that quantum uncertainty in the state of the atom.

[00:00:58]It could have decayed and therefore release the poison, which would have had a negative consequence for the cat, or it could have not decayed, in which case the cat is perfectly fine. Hence, it is both alive and not alive.

[00:01:15]Now, it's only when we open the box and resolve the state of the system that we find our answer.

[00:01:21]Of course, real cats don't exist in two states at once.

[00:01:25]Schrodinger had proposed it as a way of showing just how absurd quantum mechanics is.

[00:01:31]So, Schrodinger's cat isn't really about cats at all.

[00:01:34]It's about how strange the universe becomes if you look at it closely enough.

[00:01:40]What do you think?

[00:01:41]Are there any concepts in physics that you'd like me to explain next? If so, let me know in the comments.

[00:01:47]And if you've enjoyed this video, give me a like and a follow for more space and sci-fi content in the future.