Have we finally discovered a way to pass objects through walls? The answer is yes, theoretically, through quantum tunnelling. Quantum tunnelling is where an atom or a sub atomic particle passes through a thin barrier. We know this phenomenon because of the double split experiment, during this experiment electrons were first fired at a single slit, as a result of this we saw a single line on a screen. When a wave is passed through a double split, we see an interference pattern.
However, when we fire electrons through a double slit, we see the same interference pattern for a wave. This is because of particle-wave duality, this states that a sub atomic atom can have a particle or wave-like nature, therefore if an electron experiences wave-like nature it is able to pass through a thin barrier. So, which slit is the electron going through? When we put an observer to see what's happening up close the pattern changes; we now see two lines instead of an interference pattern, it’s as if the electron knows we’re watching. There are a few reasons why this may happen, one of which is the secrecy of the path of the electron. For example, for a tennis ball the path of it is already recorded in the universe which is why we can’t pass large objects through a barrier. Another reason why, is that rules of quantum mechanics work differently on a micro scale than on a macro scale. The only way for large objects to pass through a barrier is if we remove all the particles and all the forces acting on it, this prevents the universe from knowing the path of this object, but this is unfortunately theoretical.
Comments