whats the point of Schrödinger's cat?

Question

Was he basically saying that the notions of particle/wave duality and uncertainty were silly?

Answer 1

The Copenhagen interpretation was (and still is) already in a state of superposition, due to multiple interpretations and theories. I think his tought experiment just added more confusion about it! I dare say: What we have here is a case of "The Emperor's new clothes"!

Answer 2

No, that's not it at all.

It's a thought experiment that demonstrates the idea of superposition. Basically, the cat could be alive or dead, but until you check to see, it's in a superposition of these states - not really in either one. The act of checking 'collapses the waveform' and forces the cat into one of the states - alive or dead.

It has nothing to do with the wave/particle duality of light, and isn't related to the uncertainty principle. The uncertainty principle states that the more you know about one quantity (say, position) the less you can know about a related one (say, velocity).

Answer 3

Its purpose is to illustrate the different macroscopic implications of the two leading interpretation of quantum mechanics (Everett and Copenhagen), and leave it to the reader to ponder. In Everett, the experiment ends in an uncorrelated mixed state of a researcher grieving over a dead cat and a joyous researcher petting a live cat. In Copenhagen, the cat is in a live/dead mixed state until its wave function collapses into one or the other when the researcher opens the box an peeks inside. Take your pick. There's no experiment that can tell you which is correct. That's why they're called interpretations instead of theories.

Answer 4

He is only pointing out the paradox that when one cannot know the outcome without observation but the very act of observation affects the outcome.

I don't think he is saying it is silly just not trustworthy.

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