Did MIT Researchers Just Prove Einstein Wrong?

About this Video

• Video Title: Did MIT Researchers Just Prove Einstein Wrong?
• Channel: Sabine Hossenfelder
• Speakers: Sabine Hossenfelder
• Duration: 00:06:47

Introduction

This video discusses an MIT experiment seemingly contradicting Einstein's views on quantum mechanics, specifically regarding the double-slit experiment and the uncertainty principle. Hossenfelder analyzes the experiment's findings and questions the interpretation that Einstein was definitively proven wrong.

Key Takeaways

• MIT Experiment: Researchers used a lattice of lithium atoms as a diffraction grating for photons, measuring interference patterns before and after releasing the atoms from their traps.
• Observed Phenomenon: Initially, releasing the atoms didn't affect the interference pattern. However, over time, the pattern disappeared.
• Interpretation: The researchers interpreted the delayed disappearance of the interference pattern as evidence that the atoms gained information about the photon's path, thus supporting quantum mechanics and seemingly contradicting Einstein's views.
• Hossenfelder's Critique: Hossenfelder argues the interpretation is circular and questionable, suggesting the interference pattern's disappearance could result from the lattice becoming less regular after the atoms are released, a possibility Einstein might have predicted.
• Conclusion: Hossenfelder concludes that whether Einstein was definitively "wrong" is debatable, highlighting the complexities of interpreting the experimental results.