Schrödinger's Cat
A thought experiment illustrating a conundrum in quantum mechanics as applied to everyday objects. The scenario presents a cat that may be simultaneously both alive and dead — as a result of being linked to a random subatomic event that may or may not occur.
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Origin
Devised by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in a 1935 paper, prompted by a series of letters with Albert Einstein about the EPR paradox. Schrödinger wanted to expose what he saw as the absurdity of the Copenhagen interpretation by scaling quantum superposition up to an everyday object — a cat in a sealed box.
Updated February 22, 2026