Here's my limited understanding of the matter.
Quantum mechanics suggests that the characteristics of a particle are indeterminate. As Vipros points out, this can be understood in terms of superposition. This superposition is resolved only upon observation. (Same sort of thing can be said for the collapse of a quantum wave-function.)

Shroedinger was not the only person not to like this - Einstein was another. The cat example was intended as a reductio ad absurdum - if the superposition account is true, then the cat is both alive and dead until you look. But this cannot be the case. Therefore, modus tollens, the interpretation must be wrong: quantum indeterminacy is intolerable. (EDIT: of course, if you accept indeterminacy as a principle, you won't have any problem with the cat.)

The many-worlds interpretation suggests that there is a separate universe for each possible quantum state, and that, with each observation, we simply identify which possible universe we are in.

And that's about all I know on the matter. And I might not even know it - I'm more than likely to be wrong.

Meh.

I'll go away now.

BTW - Chickenlady - I've challenged you to a Scrabulous game...
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 18 Aug 2008, 11:08, Reply)