Few theories are weirder than quantum mechanics, which governs the microcosmos of atoms and particles. It allows particles to be in “superpositions” of many possible states, such as being in several different places at once. But this is only when nobody’s looking. The second you observe it, the particle randomly picks a location – breaking the superposition.
This seems to give rise to contradictory facts. Imagine a scientist, Lisa, inside a lab measuring the location of a particle. Her colleague, Nikhil, outside the lab, would measure Lisa as being in a superposition of seeing the particle here and spotting the particle there. But simultaneously, Lisa would be convinced that she knows where the particle is. The two scientists would therefore have different facts about where the particle is.
But how can nature be like this? It totally clashes with our experience that there is an objective reality. And why is it random? In the newest episode of our Great Mysteries of Physics podcast, we discuss the latest thinking on quantum mechanics with two physicists and a philosopher. And if you’re wondering why you haven’t seen any colleagues or other macroscopic objects in superposition yet, rest assured that it might soon happen – with a bit of improvement in
experimental technique.
Meanwhile, we hear why a planned review into sex education in English schools could put young people at risk. And rising homelessness in both Ireland and England highlight problems with the private rental sector.
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Miriam Frankel
Science Editor
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Bricolage/Shutterstock
Miriam Frankel, The Conversation
Some physicists don’t believe that quantum mechanics is a perfect description of objective reality.
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Juice Verve/Shutterstock
Sophie King-Hill, University of Birmingham; Abby Gilsenan, University of Birmingham; Willem Stander, University of Birmingham
Sex education is vitally important.
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Housing protestors in Dublin city centre, September 2018.
Benoit Daoust/Shutterstock
Padraic Kenna, University of Galway; Mark Jordan, University of Southampton
Homelessness crises in both Ireland and England highlight problems with the private rental sector.
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Politics + Society
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John Strawson, University of East London
Mass protests against the government’s plans to weaken the judiciary have exposed the deep divisions in Israel’s civil society.
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Stephen Cushion, Cardiff University
The entry into the UK’s broadcasting market of new, more outspoken, players is challenging traditional ideas of impartiality in TV news and current affairs.
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Arts + Culture
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Filippo Cervelli, SOAS, University of London
The late writer never shied away from hard topics, breaking down walls of silence around topics like disability and rurality in post-war Japan.
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William G Pooley, University of Bristol
Critics of superstition have often painted openness to magical interpretations as weakness or moral failing.
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Business + Economy
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Sonya Hanna, Bangor University; Thora Tenbrink, Bangor University
Places as diverse as New York City and the Faroe Islands have developed brands to build positive feelings that translate into tourist dollars and, increasingly, support for the environment.
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Stewart Lansley, University of Bristol
Prioritising economic growth without a plan to curb exploitative business practices is not a solution. The UK needs a return to the forward-thinking social reforms of 1945.
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Environment
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Sam Fankhauser, University of Oxford
The government’s pro-climate rhetoric has met reality – and it doesn’t look good.
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Mark Ireland, Newcastle University
200 barrels of oil ‘reservoir fluid’ have spilled into a large natural harbour surrounded by nature reserves.
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Health
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Rebecca A. Drummond, University of Birmingham
A drug-resistant fungus is a threat to human health.
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Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia; Julii Brainard, University of East Anglia
The ONS’ Coronavirus Infection Survey has ceased after three years. Two experts explain why it was a uniquely useful source of data.
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Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, University of Oxford; Paul Aveyard, University of Oxford; Susan Jebb, University of Oxford
Permanent weight loss is hard to achieve. But the good news is: there are still benefits to temporary weight loss.
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Science + Technology
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Ruediger Schack, Royal Holloway University of London
According to a school of thought known as QBism, quantum mechanics is a guide to action.
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Chapurukha Kusimba, University of South Florida; David Reich, Harvard University
The first ancient DNA sequences from peoples of the medieval Swahili civilization push aside colonialist stories and reveal genetic connections from the past.
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