A curious observer’s guide to quantum mechanics, pt 7: The quantum century

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One of the quietest revolutions of our current century has been the entry of quantum mechanics into our everyday technology. It used to be that quantum effects were confined to physics laboratories and delicate experiments. But modern technology increasingly relies on quantum mechanics for its basic operation, and the importance of quantum effects will only grow in the decades to come. As such, physicist Miguel F. Morales has taken on the herculean task of explaining quantum mechanics to laypeople in this seven-part series (no math, we promise). Below is the series finale, but you can always find the starting story plus a landing page for the entire series on site.

The future is already here-it's just not very evenly distributed -William Gibson

As tool builders, it is only very recently that we've been able to use quantum mechanics. Understanding and manipulating quantum devices has been like getting an intoxicating new superpower-there are so many things we can now build that would have been impossible just a few years ago.

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