layout: post title: Why is Schrödinger’s Cat Both Alive and Dead? —

Superposition and Schrödinger’s Cat: Explained Simply, 7.24.25

Superposition is a strange idea from quantum physics. It means something—like an atom—can be in more than one state at the same time. For example, a radioactive atom can both decay (break down) and not decay at the same time… until we check.

To show how strange this is, physicist Erwin Schrödinger came up with a thought experiment. Imagine a cat inside a box with a radioactive atom, a Geiger counter (which detects radiation), and a vial of poison. If the atom decays, the Geiger counter clicks, releases the poison, and the cat dies. If the atom doesn’t decay, the cat lives.

But because of superposition, the atom is both decayed and not decayed until we look. That means the cat is both alive and dead at the same time—at least, in theory!

Once we open the box and look, we force the atom to pick one state. This is called “collapsing the wave function.” Superposition may sound wild, but it’s how real particles act—and it’s the secret behind quantum computers!