This proven phenomenon, now known as quantum entanglement, was called "spooky action at a distance" by Einstein. He was very uncomfortable with the idea, as reported in the Nova video below (it's a little long but well worth the time):
Years later, physicist John Stewart Bell presented a paper that essentially drew a line in the sand between quantum mechanics and classical theory. Bell's theorem states
In this video, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku answers Matthew's question, "Could quantum entanglement be used to transmit information instantaneously between interplanetary spaceships?"
And for a simpler explanation of quantum entanglement, try this link to simple.wikipedia.org.
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Einstein and Niels Bohr were often on opposite sides of a given theory. Thankfully, they made their disputes public in the Bohr-Einstein debates. Einstein's discomfort with quantum entanglement prompted him to publish a paper in collaboration with two other physicists, known as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox. In the paper they considered measurement of two entangled particles in light of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and concluded that quantum mechanics was incomplete since, in its formalism, there was no space for hidden parameters. As stated in the Wikipedia article:According to EPR there were two possible explanations. Either there was some interaction between the particles, even though they were separated, or the information about the outcome of all possible measurements was already present in both particles.
Years later, physicist John Stewart Bell presented a paper that essentially drew a line in the sand between quantum mechanics and classical theory. Bell's theorem states
No physical theory of local hidden variables can ever reproduce all of the predictions of quantum mechanics.Current scientific activity studying quantum entanglement presents some interesting ideas and possible explanations, such as "Einstein's 'spooky action' common in large quantum systems, mathematicians find," "Imaging Quantum Entanglement," and "Quantum Experiment Shows How Time ‘Emerges’ from Entanglement." This last article was found at The Physics arXiv Blog, "An alternative view of the best new ideas in science."
In this video, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku answers Matthew's question, "Could quantum entanglement be used to transmit information instantaneously between interplanetary spaceships?"
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For some background in quantum mechanics, take a look at this excellent piece.
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And for a simpler explanation of quantum entanglement, try this link to simple.wikipedia.org.
-- Marge
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