• Question: Do we live in a quantum world?

    Asked by beth5000 to Claire, Matt, Sam on 27 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Sam Geen

      Sam Geen answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      Yes! Although we often don’t see it, which is why it took people a long time to discover quantum physics. Light is caused by electrons jumping up and down quantum energy levels in atoms, for example. And electronics like computers and phones wouldn’t work without quantum physics.

    • Photo: Claire Lee

      Claire Lee answered on 27 Jun 2013:

      Yes and no 🙂

      The universe we live in – as well as ourselves – is made up of particles that obey the quantum laws on their scale (the really really small). But by the time you get to our size of things those laws can be approximated by a much simpler set.

      So while we do live in a world that is based on and built up from quantum rules, some of those rules don’t apply to us as individuals. We live in a world that, on the small scale, obeys the quantum rules. But you and I obey the macroscopic rules 🙂

      One of the things physicists haven’t yet figured out is how to put gravity and quantum mechanics together! They should be able to go together – we just don’t know how!

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