What is quantum entanglement? | Science News

Quantum entanglement is really weird — there’s nothing like it in our everyday experience. Particles maintain a mysterious link that persists even if the particles are separated by light-years. Einstein was famously not a fan of entanglement. Yet physicists are beginning to suspect that entanglement plays a central role in shaping the fabric of space and time that Einstein introduced in his general theory of relativity a century ago.

Story by Andrew Grant

Drawings by Helen Thompson

Narrated and produced by Helen Thompson

Video by Bryan Bello

Images courtesy of NASA

[tpelectric]

As a chemist and a scientist I find this simply fascinating. I have developed the coolest parlor trick ever using the entanglement theory. Victims of the prank can become infuriated by an outcome that they cannot control or change.
Ha, I'm just pulling your string I tell them.

[thomasjmcfarlane]

This video is a misleading oversimplification. What this video describes as quantum entanglement is just classical common-cause: Suppose a pair of gloves are separated and it is unknown which glove is sent far away. If we then observe the glove that was not sent away to be a right-handed glove, we instantly know the other is left-handed, even if it is on the opposite side of the universe. There is no mysterious link there, the gloves are not communicating. It is simple common cause. This is not quantum entanglement. Please don't be mislead by this video into misunderstanding what quantum entanglement is.

[kaeez]

Love that eerie music in the background for such an eerie topic ;)

[yashkatare]

1:10 isn't this kinda like what Einstein said about the particles having hidden information?

[mikeegan]

This demonstrates the effects and consequences of entanglement but does not explain what/how electrons or other partials are entangled. How would I recognised an entangled particle, what are it properties. If I generate entangled particle then I know they are entangled but if I meet one on its own, how would I recognise it?

[redline]

they are connected by strings from string theory of course :))

[FishStyx]

NOW imagine if you could some how control and imitate the act of entanglement within preexisting particles, of lets say, the human body. And therefore link two bodies on a molecular level. Would it effect their neural passageways? Would it effect how they thought? Would their physical actions, or even their thoughts, be predicted depending on each others?

I know entanglement is severely complicated and i could be wildly off base with this, but its still fun to think about.

[mycatlovesme]

I love this idea! I always thought I was psychic and the idea that my atoms are entangled with others is wonderful. I didn’t this find this video it found me.

[ironcascade]

I only came here because scientist have finally unveiled a photo of quantum entanglement

[sylviakruger]

Fascinating to me...the idea of quantum entanglement!

[entoythedragon]

If this get unlocked, imagine if we have a quantum computer, phone or even a quantum weapon.

[pirveliskola]

How do you know what the spin of the particle on the other side of the Universe is?

[kittikajorns]

When it entangle, could it be de-entangle? How?

[RavenCrow]

"What is quantum entanglement?" If you put 2 electrons together, they equalize the system by synchronizing and getting opposite spins. Then, if you measure one as up, the other one should be down. And that's ALL to it. Whoo, spookey!

[gc]

if only we could dismantle this fabric, just a little to see what's behind, then we could sew it back discretely, like if nothing has happened...

[VAPkarawagner]

what's the song called at the beginning?

[watchmeday]

Just think if you could entangle a string of atoms acting as bits in a communications device with a similar string of atoms in another device you could have instantaneous communications over light years of distance. Imagine a large digital switches each containing thousands of entangled endpoints and each endpoint entangled with a remote digital switch placed in mobile phones or home internet routers. You could have a super highspeed digital network that supports data and voice over data and it would use very low power while providing instantaneous communication speeds. Your cell phone would never have to broadcast a signal because it would be entangled and always connected. Your home internet connections would be faster than fiber optics and you could travel anywhere around the planet or around the universe and still have the same instantaneous connection. There would be no delays in communications from distant space craft, missions on other planets, or even from interstellar missions.

[davidwalker]

Do you ever get the feeling we dont know as much as we think we do and the top brains are trying to find a theory of everything its a bit presumptious

[nazmiimtiyaz]

My friend wears orange, I am certain my other friedn will wear orange too. After asking them, they said they didnt plan it out. Welcome to quantum entanglement.

[leoanacorazon]

God made the quantum entanglement process so that people could communicate with each other on a deeper level, and fall in love and continue the human race lol...