this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2024
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Can someone explain why they still need fiber? I thought this was about someone finally succeeding in making practical use of entangled pairs.
Entangled particles cannot transmit information between the pairs. That would violate information theory and likely causality as well.
Quantum networking is instead focused on using extremely robust encryption that can detect interception using entangled pairs of light particles being transmitted together in the fiber optics.
Edit:
To elaborate on this, let's talk about how entanglement works.
Let's say I have two identical bags. Into each of the bags I put one of two balls, one colored red, the other blue. I then mix these bags up like a shell game and hand you one.
Now you can travel anywhere in the universe, and when you open your bag, you know exactly what color you have and what color I have too. No information transmitted, only information inferred.
Now the quantum part is tricky. Basically when you do this experiment with quantum particles, for example generating two particles, one that must be spun up, the other that must be spin down, there's a lot of science that "proves" the particles spins are each entirely random, implying that somehow when you examine one you force BOTH particles to pick their opposite spins instantaneously across any distance.
Now there are two major explanations for how truly random gets 'picked' by the universe.
The first one is Bell's theorem, or 'spooky action at a distance', basically claiming that until you 'observe' the particles they both exist in an undetermined state, neither spin up or down, and when you look, the universe forces things to get corrected through some mechanism we don't understand. Scientists generally prefer this theory because the math is clean and beautiful, and randomness written into the most fundamental levels of the universe fits philosophical ideals nicely (more on that in a minute).
The primary alternative theory is much more mundane, but has huge implications. Basically this theory, called super determinism, claims there is no such thing as true random, and instead the universe has a set of hidden variables determined from the very beginning of the universe. This implies that time is an illusion and everything is fully deterministic across the entire universe. Scientists generally hate this theory because the math is much harder and uglier, and some interpret this to mean there is no free will.
Which is kinda stupid. Because even if my decisions come about through undetermined random quantum effects that is still a physical effect outside of my control and I still cannot really act of my own free will. Schopenhauer had already figured that out without the need for quantum physics. A person might do what they want but they cannot want what they want.
tldr: Free will is bullshit. Let's watch some TV.