Content about “

quantum mechanics

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Traditionally, observers play no special role in physics. Like bird watchers in a perfect hide, we observe the outcome of experiments, or gaze at the stars through our telescopes, taking no part in the action. Modern physics, however, tells a different story ... find out more with these articles and videos.

Can the very act of observing something change what's being observed? This series of articles and videos explores some basic questions about the role of the observers in physics.

The possibility that there might be many parallel worlds has just become a little more likely.

Some general ideas in very few words and without equations.

Why did physicists at the beginning of the 20th century feel they needed a new — and strange — theory?

At the heart of modern physics lurks a terrible puzzle: the two main theories that describe the world we live in just won't fit together.

A closer look at one of the simplest quantum algorithms.

Quantum computers often grab the science headlines. But what exactly is quantum computing? What will quantum computers be able to do, and when can we expect to have fully functional ones?

Here's a brief introduction to the possible future of computing.

Observers are, of course, vital in physics: we test our theories by comparing them to our observations. But in cosmology, as Jim Hartle explains, we could be one of many possible observers in the Universe and knowing which one we are is vital in testing our theories.