Author (Corporate) | European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service |
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Series Title | At a Glance: Scientific Foresight: What if...? |
Series Details | January 2017 |
Publication Date | January 2017 |
Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog, Overview |
Could the theory of quantum mechanics one day revolutionise commonplace technical devices such as sensors, communication devices and computers? Quantum mechanics is a scientific theory that has revolutionised our understanding of the Universe. In the world of classical physics, a system is always in one particular state (e.g. at rest or in motion) while in the quantum world, a system can be in a superposition of two or more states. Performing a measurement on such a superposition causes it to collapse into a single state. Furthermore, in contrast to the classical world, where a system can be measured without changing it, in the quantum world a measurement can have an impact on the state of the system. |
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Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2017/581932/EPRS_ATA(2017)581932_EN.pdf |
Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research |
Countries / Regions | Europe |