Quantum hot in the science field

Introducing the Quantum: For nearly a century, it has been a hot topic in physics and has produced much of our modern lifestyle. It’s all around us. It’s why our modern technology works. And it’s in our culture, in movies, pop psychology, even diet fads. But very few of us have even a reasonable idea of what it’s all about. So, just what is this “quantum” business, anyway?

Derived from the Latin word quantus, the word quantum means “a discrete or required amount.” It is used in physics to refer to a particular amount of energy that has a particular effect.

To explain: You might be familiar with the fact that every atom has one or more electrons rushing around its nucleus. They are often drawn like planets in orbit around a star, but that just isn’t the case. The electrons zip around in a seemingly haphazard fashion, each at a particular distance from the nucleus, with that distance determined by the electron’s particular energy level.

When something adds energy to an electron — say, light shining on the atom — the electron will absorb energy until it has increased its energy by a particular amount (the necessary quantum) and then it will “jump” to a more energetic orbital (more distant from the nucleus).

If the electron doesn’t receive the required quantum of energy, it stays put and nothing changes. It’s an “all or none” situation. These electron “orbitals” are quantum characteristics; they are determined by defined amounts of energy.

Things that glow when they’re hot do so because the high-energy electrons are releasing energy in the form of light — the energy is being released in defined quanta as the electrons move to lower energy orbitals.

Beginning in the early 1900s, the work of a whole herd of seriously bright physicists — the names Dirac, Shroedinger, Pauli, Bohr, and Heisenberg come to mind, but there were a lot more of them — gradually gelled into what we know as quantum mechanics.

This field of physics describes the behavior of matter and energy on an extremely small scale—that of individual particles. Although the field of quantum mechanics grew in part from the work of Albert Einstein, the great theorist did not necessarily support some of the concepts.

As we now understand, when you look at things on the level of the particle, everything gets weird. Many of the rules of physics are different for individual particles than they are for us. For example, some particles can pop into and out of existence, seemingly at random. (This probably never happens with large objects, except my keys.)

Some of the “players” in this odd drama behave both as waves and as particles, at the same time. Some particles are “entangled”; that is, when one particle changes a particular characteristic, the same characteristic is changed in its entangled partner, instantly, regardless of how far away the particles are from one another. This seems to violate one of the basic laws of physics and led Einstein to refer to entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.”

The work continues today; the understanding of how things work on that level has allowed us to create (for example) the modern world that affects so may of us — the digital age. Without our knowledge of quantum effects, our modern electronic devices, including computers, would not be what they are.

The “spooky” aspects of quantum properties have kept many people from really understanding what it’s all about. And when something is not well understood, it seems magical. (After all, that’s why magicians are popular — we don’t understand how their illusions work, and we are enthralled by what we see.)

As a result, quantum has become a catch-word used by hucksters the world over to embellish their scams. Numerous new-age charlatans refer to “quantum effects” of everything from meditation and positive thinking to diet supplements. The charlatans depend on the fact that you don’t understand what quantum effects really are, so they can use “sciencey” language to impress you and sell you snake oil. Don’t be fooled. When you hear someone speak of “quantum effects,” keep a tight grip on your wallet.

I don’t pretend to understand much about quantum mechanics; many physicists devote their careers to advancing our knowledge of this field of study, and what little I might know isn’t even a drop in the bucket. The lesson for all of us here is that things aren’t always what they seem and that many mysteries are waiting to be solved. That’s one of the best parts of science — it’s never over. There’s always work to do.

Dr. David Hewitt is a Visalia-based pathologist. He writes about issues revolving around science. The column publishes monthly on Mondays. Submit question comments, and suggestions for articles to inquirescience@gmail.com.