Part 2/8:
The original thought experiment introduced by Erwin Schrödinger serves to highlight the puzzling concept of quantum superposition. In layman's terms, when we observe a quantum particle, it exists in multiple states at once, represented by a wave function, often notated as Psi. From this framework emerges the idea of superposition, wherein particles can simultaneously occupy states—such as left and right directions—which starkly contradicts our classical understanding of reality.
The essence of Schrödinger's cat is constructed around the thought that if we place a cat in a scenario where its life hinges on a quantum event—like the decay of an atom triggering a lethal reaction—the cat can theoretically be in a state of being both dead and alive until observed.