Schrödinger's cat is a famous thought experiment. It was put by the famous Nobel laureate in physics - Austrian scientist Erwin Rudolph Josef Alexander Schrödinger.
The essence of the experiment was as follows. A cat was placed in a closed chamber (box). The box is equipped with a mechanism that contains a radioactive nucleus and poisonous gas. The parameters are chosen so that the probability of decay of the nucleus in one hour is exactly fifty percent. If the core decays, the mechanism will come into action and a container with poisonous gas will open. Consequently, the Schrödinger cat will die.
According to the laws of quantum mechanics, if you do not observe the nucleus, then its states will be described by the principle of superposition of two main states - the nucleus of a decayed and not decayed. And here a paradox arises: Schrödinger's cat, which sits in a box, may be dead and alive at the same time. But if you open the box, the experimenter will see only one specific state. Either "the core has broken up and the cat is dead", or "the core hasn't broken up and the Schrödinger cat is alive."
According to the logic of things, at the exit we will have one of two things: either a living cat or a dead one. But in the potential, the animal is in both states at once. Schrödinger tried in this way to prove his opinion about the limitations of quantum mechanics.
According to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics, and this experiment in particular, a cat in one of its potential phases (dead-alive) acquires these properties only after an outside observer intervenes in the process. But for now, this observer is not (this implies the presence of a specific person who has advantages in the form of clarity of vision and consciousness), the cat will be in limbo "between life and death."
The famous ancient parable that the cat walks on its own acquires new, interesting shades in the context of this experiment.
According to the world-wide interpretation of Everett, which differs markedly from the classical Copenhagen interpretation, the observation process is not considered to be something special. Both states in which the Schrödinger cat may be in this interpretation may exist. But they decohere with each other. This means that the unity of these states will be violated just the same as a result of interaction with the outside world. It is the observer who opens the box and makes a difference in the state of the cat.
It is believed that the decisive word in this matter should be left to such a creature as the Schrödinger cat. The meaning of this opinion is the acceptance of the fact that in the whole experiment the animal is the only absolutely competent observer. For example, scientists Max Tegmark, Bruno Marshall and Hans Moraven presented a modification of the above experiment, where the main point of view is the opinion of the cat. In this case, the Schrödinger cat undoubtedly survives, because only the surviving cat can observe the results. But the scientist Nadav Katz published his results, in which he was able to "return" the state of the particle back after changing its state. Thus, the cat's chances of survival increase markedly.
