Theoretical physicist studying particles (mainly at LHC) and strings; interpreting science for the public. Author of "Waves in an Impossible Sea".
Joined June 2011
- Tweets 4,652
- Following 128
- Followers 13,494
- Likes 366
98 Photos and videos
Matt Strassler retweeted
6 Apr 2025
@MattStrassler has some fantastic (highly pedagogical) physics articles.
profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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14 Apr 2025
Is Superposition Really an "OR"? If a quantum system is in a superposition state "A B", does it mean that "A AND B" are true, or that "A OR B " is true, or something else? An example of why ordinary language is not easily applied to #quantum physics. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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Matt Strassler retweeted
3 Apr 2025
Have you ever wondered about what's going on with the double slit experiment? If so, you owe it to yourself to read @MattStrassler's brilliant series of blog posts on the topic.
I recommend starting here: profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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3 Apr 2025
In the #quantum double slit experiment, the famous #interference pattern disappears if we measure which slit the particle went through. Why does it disappear? It's often described in vague, mystical terms, but in fact it's conceptually straightforward: profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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31 Mar 2025
The interference of water waves happens somewhere -- wherever the waves are, obviously. But #quantum interference happens... nowhere. If you try to say exactly where two #entangled particles interfere, you will find yourself lost in space. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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31 Mar 2025
If particles are #entangled, observing #quantum interference effects can be subtle, often requiring measuring multiple particles. As a result, quantum interference cannot generally be located in a specific place, unlike interference of e.g. water waves. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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28 Mar 2025
In the #quantum double-slit experiment, it's natural to ask, "where does the interference occur?" But it's a dicey question: an answer is only possible in special situations, as when the particles are independent (i.e. their behavior is "uncorrelated".)
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26 Mar 2025
The #quantum double-slit experiment shows an interference pattern; but what is interfering with what? Today I explore examples that show how seemingly minor changes can eliminate interference, and why locating the interference in space is ... problematic. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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20 Mar 2025
Here are 9 examples of simple two-particle systems in #quantum superpositions. Some show quantum interference (like double-slit), others don't. Do you see the pattern that distinguishes the two groups? Why & when does interference happen (...or not)? profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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19 Mar 2025
In yesterday's post, I showed a simple example where one particle can give the same #quantum interference as in the double-slit experiment. Then I posed a puzzle about two particles, which has generated a debate in the comments. Can you solve the riddle? profmattstrassler.com/blog/
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18 Mar 2025
A super-simple example of #quantum #interference, in which an interference pattern emerges #particle by particle (as in the double slit expt). It frames a question clearly: is the particle interfering with itself, or is it not? Answer to follow. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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17 Mar 2025
Hey folks, if you'd like to read some of the funniest scientific nonsense yet generated by Grok 3, have fun with this! Isn't it great that human science professors at universities will soon be replaced with AI profs? It'll be awesome!
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17 Mar 2025
I've been interviewed on the Blackbird #Physics YouTube channel by UMich. grad student & LHC physicist Ibrahim Chahrour. The interview, aimed largely at physics undergrad & grad students, covers mass, fields, #particles & the #Higgs boson. youtube.com/watch?v=ly15uWjJ…
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14 Mar 2025
The eclipsed Moon from Earth, and the eclipsing Earth from the Moon spaceweathergallery2.com/ind…
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13 Mar 2025
To make sense of the #quantum double slit experiment, one must first learn this strange lesson: in 1920s quantum physics, the interference arises *neither* from particles moving through both slits *nor* from a wave function moving through both slits. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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10 Mar 2025
Do wave functions describing #quantum objects actually "collapse" (i.e., suddenly change shape and lose pieces) when those objects are measured? Here's how to think about the issue clearly, without getting mired in illogical conundrums and bad arguments. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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6 Mar 2025
A #quantum superposition, in which a wave function contains 2 possibilities simultaneously, does not mean that both possibilities occur. It means that one *or* the other may occur; e.g. a quantum particle cannot be observed to go in 2 directions at once. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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3 Mar 2025
#quantum #physics: In measurements of ultra-microscopic objects, the resulting measurement evidence is fragile & easily lost. How do experimental physicists preserve the evidence quickly, before it's too late? profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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27 Feb 2025
What is a measurement? A tricky question, especially in our #quantum world. As a first step, here's a way to think about it: a sketch of a simple measurement device in a simple quantum setting, one that we can use in future in more complex situations. profmattstrassler.com/2025/0…
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