What uses does Quantum Mechanics have to humans? (read inside)?

Question

Why is quantum mechanics so important? Is it true that QM is neccessary for computers, cell phones, and other digital equipment?

I am 18 and majoring in physics and math at Johns Hopkins University, and i would like some "inspiration."

Furthermore, could someone lead me to sources on this subject?

Answer 1

Quantum physics underpins everything, but of course you don't need to go that deeply for many practical purposes. For instance, you would not model the architecture of a building at the level of an electron.

But quantum mechanics is central to understanding and designing all semiconductor devices (not just the newer, esoteric ones), hard drives (which use quantum tunneling), chemicals that require an understanding of the chemical bond (including modelling shapes of biological molecules in the biotech iindustry).

It is behind MRI scanning, x-rays, digital cameras (a CCD is a fundamentally quantum device), nuclear energy and weapons technology.

It is essential to cosmology and understanding the stars.

The list goes on.

And no, it is way beyond the status of a theory.

Answer 2

Quantum physics is the most interesting subject that I have ever come across. I myself questioned my HS teacher what happens if we take the atoms and split them. What is beyond atoms. It can't be that the atoms are the last component of the universe. Why stop there. What about time. What are the chemical reactions if they are looked at the physical view. One of the most intriguing phenomena of quantum mechanics is the theory that you can never find the location and time of an electron at the same time. I think it was Heisenberg who proposed this. Also, the super string theory is very interesting and it is trying to unite all the other phenomena such as electromagnetism, gravity etc. I think that quantum mechanics are so "virgin". By virgin I mean that it is a subject which is not yet well understood and studied thorough and as a result you could be the first person to discover something that has not been discovered before. More specifically, it deals with the universe that is still very little known to man.

Answer 3

The Quantum Mechanics is the best verified theory in the human history. The QM outcomes are the most exact correspondence with the reality, accordingly that, it is the most important substantial knowledge to be applied to the technology. The current cutting edge technology is widely supported by QM.

Answer 4

Okay, a little outside my field of expertise, but from what I understand, as our miniaturization of technology continues, they approach a scale where quantum effects become a significant source of error and uncertainty. Lasers, transistors and microscopic imaging technologies all become subject to the strange seeming randomness of the quantum scale. And the computations required to handle multiple disparate signals received by an array of antennas at a cellular phone signal hub are surprisingly similar to those for quantum error correction -- those calculations designed to correct for error in the as-yet-to-be-built quantum computer.

And once you've "mastered" quantum mechanics (don't worry; no one has), you can progress on to M theory, which has a big impact on humans: assuming you can get two theorhetical physicists to agree on more than 25% of M theory, you could come up with the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything.

Answer 5

Wait... you're majoring in this, or still deciding whether to go into it? Cause if you're majoring in it, you're the one that should know.
From my little knowledge, quantum is just a theory, not proven yet because the technology does not exist, but that doesn't mean it is useless. Look at cosmology, and the study of the stars. They look for supernovi all the time, but that's only usefull for determining the age of the universe and bing bang theories.. etc. A lot of things are usefull for humanity's intellectual ambitions.