Back in 2016, Aharonov et al. showed that, in an experiment involving both quantum state preparation and post-selection, quantum particles can apparently violate the "pigeonhole principle." That is, three particles (pigeons) can be distributed among two boxes (pigeonholes), and yet no two particles are ever found in the same box. t turns out that this example is just one of an infinite class of paradoxical relations among quantum particles. We will examine a few of these, including an Escher-like staircase of particle energies, quantum plane maps that require more than four colors, and an experimental situation in which 1+1 is not always 2. How does such quantum paradoxical knowledge arise, and what does it teach us?
Join us on Friday, Oct. 18, for this exciting Family Weekend presentation from our own Professor Benjamin Schumacher. Lunch will be available in Hayes 216 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and the presentation will begin in Hayes 211/213 at 12:10 p.m. We hope to see you there!