Quantum entanglement is a central principle of quantum physics that says some particles, like photons or electrons, are linked together so that the state of one particle cannot be described independently of the other. Another central principle of quantum theory is that before a particle is measured, it doesn’t have a definite state but is rather in a superposition of all possible states. This is modeled by Schrodeinger’s Cat, where the cat is dead and alive before the box is checked.
You could think of it this way: if two electrons are (quantum-ly?) entangled and you smack electron A, which is on the far left side of the universe, some invisible force crosses the entire universe to wherever electron B is and electron B gets that exact same smack at the exact.same.time. Which means that this invisible force traveled way faster than the speed of light, which isn’t possible, I think..
This is such a puzzling idea that Einstein called it a “spooky action at a distance”. Scientists at the Delft Institute of Technology in The Netherlands proved that quantum entanglement actually does happen by doing some crazy stuff with electron beams and supercooled diamonds. They shot an electron into 2 of these diamonds which acted as mini prisons, and as they affected the spin rate of 1 electron, the spin rate of the other was also affected. If we are ever able to figure out how this actually works, could it lead to time travel or teleportation? Would we be able to send people somewhere in the Universe in an instant?
Here is a funnier explanation in layman terms from a non-scientific website: “if two electrons are created together, they are forever entangled, much like you and your high school sweetheart according to some [sorry] poems you wrote in tenth grade. And, also like you and your ex-love, regardless of the distance between the two electrons, a change in quantum spin in one electron will immediately cause the other electron to change spin as well. So like, when she [hooks up] with Bob Feeney, the teams QB after the first date, even though youre home alone playing Tetris, your heart will ache with a sudden and unmistakable pain. Thats the pain of entanglement, my friend.”
