Schrödinger and the Cat Paradox Explained

In 1935, Erwin Schrödinger imagined a cat in a sealed box as part of a thought experiment.
The setup linked quantum mechanics with everyday objects to highlight its strangeness.
Inside the box, a radioactive atom could decay and trigger poison—or not.
Quantum theory suggested the atom existed in both decayed and undecayed states.
That meant, mathematically, the cat could be both alive and dead at the same time.
Schrödinger didn’t propose this as reality, but to show the absurdity of quantum superposition.
The paradox highlights the “measurement problem”: when does a quantum state become definite?
It fueled debates between Einstein, Bohr, and Schrödinger about the meaning of quantum theory.
Today, the cat paradox is a popular way to explain quantum weirdness to the public.
The thought experiment remains a symbol of the mysteries at the heart of quantum mechanics.