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The discovery of the quantum world could rewrite the well-known laws of physics
A recent experiment sheds new light on the workings of the quantum world: scientists have created photons that can be described along 37 different dimensions simultaneously. This discovery not only pushes the boundaries of what is currently known in quantum physics but also demonstrates that reality is far more complex than classical physics has led us to believe.
Throughout the history of physics, there have been discoveries that fundamentally challenge the way we understand reality. As highlighted in an article by Popular Mechanics, the quantum realm is precisely such an area: an invisible, yet all-pervading level of existence where the usual rules do not always apply.
Here, particles are not necessarily where they “should” be, the relationship between cause and effect can become blurred, and phenomena emerge that are simply unimaginable from the perspective of classical physics. Research over recent years increasingly shows that the quantum world operates according to a logic very different from the reality we experience every day.
The clash between classical and quantum physics
Classical physics describes the world as predictable and governed by fixed laws. Objects are influenced by their immediate surroundings, and causal relationships are straightforward and traceable, in stark contrast to the quantum world.
One of the most well-known examples is quantum entanglement. This phenomenon demonstrates that two particles can become linked regardless of the distance separating them. A change in the state of one particle can instantaneously affect the other, as if distance were irrelevant—an oddity that alone raises profound questions about the nature of reality.
Nonlocality and the paradoxes of the quantum world
Quantum entanglement leads directly to one of the foundational concepts of quantum physics: nonlocality. Nonlocality means that particles do not behave solely under the influence of their immediate environment; they can also affect each other over a distance.
This paradox is illustrated by the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) paradox, which shows that quantum theory cannot be explained in a locally realistic way. In some cases, mathematical descriptions lead to seemingly absurd conclusions, where classical logic entirely breaks down—sometimes even suggesting, mathematically, that 1 equals −1. Such paradoxes play a key role in understanding just how differently the quantum world operates.
37 dimensions in a single particle
One of the most recent studies aimed to explore the limits of non-classical behaviour in the quantum world. Scientists created photons that could be described along 37 different dimensions. These dimensions do not represent new physical worlds but rather different quantum states and reference parameters along which particle behaviour can be examined.
Just as human experience is built upon three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension, these photons existed along multiple, parallel axes of description. The difference is that the quantum dimensions are abstract, tied to mathematical and physical parameters rather than directly perceivable directions.
In the experiment, a variant of the GHZ paradox was encoded into coherent light. The uniformity of the light’s colour and wavelength allowed the photons to be manipulated with extraordinary precision. As a result, researchers succeeded in reproducing the most unconventional quantum state observed to date.
What does this reveal about the quantum world?
According to the researchers, the results suggest that quantum physics remains far from fully understood. Although the theory has existed for over a century, it is quite possible that we have only scratched the surface of how the quantum world truly operates.
Investigating high-dimensional quantum states could open up new avenues of research and help us better understand the principles underlying quantum phenomena. The scientists hope that these findings will pave the way for even more astonishing—and truly remarkable—discoveries in the future.
We have indeed barely scratched the surface of the quantum world. It is enormously exciting, and I wish I’d be alive when truly groundbreaking discoveries in this realm are made. Unlikely, though. Sad.
None of it, however, answers the fundamental and ultimately unanswerable question: Why is there ANYTHING? Why is there matter? Why is there something as opposed to literally nothing? How? When?
Religions attempt to respond with “God did it,” but that just adds an extra step into the discourse rather than provide a definitive response.
Fascinating.