Schrödinger’s Cat: The Paradox That Defined Quantum Theory

Schrödinger’s Cat is a thought experiment created in 1935 by physicist Erwin Schrödinger.
It imagines a cat sealed in a box with a device that has a 50/50 chance of killing it.
According to quantum mechanics, until observed, the cat is both alive and dead at the same time.
This idea illustrates the principle of superposition—multiple states existing at once.
The paradox highlights how bizarre quantum rules clash with everyday experience.
Schrödinger didn’t mean it literally—he used it to criticize extreme interpretations of quantum theory.
The cat symbolizes how quantum particles don’t settle into one state until measured.
It sparked decades of debate about the role of the observer in quantum physics.
The paradox influenced the “Copenhagen Interpretation,” one of the most famous takes on quantum reality.
Today, Schrödinger’s Cat remains a cultural icon for the weirdness of quantum physics.