What Einstein once dismissed as “spooky action” is being transformed into a functioning engine of calculation and exploration
By Frederick Sinclair
In this rapidly maturing Information Age, myriad facets of our lives are rapidly being challenged to absorb discoveries, technologies and social norms; spawned by new science, understanding and lifestyles. Among these is the arrival of advanced computing, running super intelligent silicon-based chips and highly advanced processing algorithms that stampede beyond previous boundaries of physics, into emerging dimensions of the Quantum realm.
“Quantum” is defined as the smallest, indivisible unit or “packet” of physical quantity (like energy, mass or momentum) that can exist independently. The word comes from the Latin for “how much”. In the subatomic world, nature does not flow like water; instead it moves in distinct, stepwise jumps called quanta (plural of quantum). It is pure energy, existing in the subatomic realm with movement akin to photons within the light spectrum. Quantum Mechanics, describes the state of quantum as a ‘superposition’ in matter, and at this sub- atomic size, occupies multiple locations at the same time. It has been demonstrated that this occurs due to particle and wave-like characteristics in which electrons or photons travel multiple paths at once. When measurement, observation or intention is applied, wave function of quanta collapses into a single (solid) outcome. Scientists have successfully placed large molecules and clusters, containing thousands of atoms, into quantum superposition. Larger objects, however, containing trillions of interacting atoms, exhibit interference patterns that strip away quantum properties (superposition) and lock the macroscopic world into a predictable reality.
How does Quantum relate to Computing and ‘Quantum computers’? In classical computing, the standard bit of information is like a light switch—it can only be a 0 (off) or a 1 (on). A quantum bit, or ‘qubit’, leverages quantum superposition to exist as a combination of both 0 and 1 simultaneously. This capability exponentially expands processing power because a group of qubits can evaluate millions of possibilities at once, rather than checking them one by one. The science of qubit coherent wave function and laser cooling, to freeze atoms for observation of quantum properties, can be found at the IBM Quantum Learning Platform. Apparently, computer science has advanced to the point of inducing superpositioning on data processing and analysis platforms operating in the subatomic quantum realm. If this is hard to understand and confusing to the point of being incomprehensible, then don’t you despair, because most conventional physicists have a similar reaction to full acceptance of the subatomic quantum realm. Many march confidently up to the infinitesimal and stop, declaring that the physics of the solid world is good enough; this boundary is referred to as the Copenhagen Interpretation.
Historically, this pragmatic “shut up and calculate” approach allows scientists to utilize the mathematics of quantum mechanics without having to philosophically reckon with its reality. It draws a firm, defensive line between a tidy predictable macroscopic world and the ‘ghostly’ fluid chaos beneath it. For nearly a century, that line held. We contented ourselves with being mere passive observers of a bizarre subatomic theater, assuming the matrix of creation was something to be studied from a safe, classical distance. Panpsychism, however, the philosophical views of the depths of the quantum realm, supports viewing into the infinitesimal, and exploring the deeper subatomic regions, similar to the way the James Web space telescope is revealing deep regions and realities of outer space, hitherto unknown or imagined. Where standard textbook physics classifies superposition as a blind mechanical property of matter, renowned physicists like Federico Faggin argue that quantum states possess intrinsic qualities of pure unencumbered potential, establishing a baseline form of “ free will” or “choice” that manifests upon influencing of superposition to become reality. Superposition is being viewed as the very engine that allows intelligence and awareness to exist in the first place.
The modern advent of quantum computing has completely shattered the boundary between classical limitation and unlimited potential. By engineering silicon based chips that can actively induce, sustain, and manipulate qubits (data packages), into a state of physical superposition, we are no longer just looking through the keyhole of reality—we have stepped through the door. What Einstein once dismissed as “spooky action” is being transformed into a functioning engine of calculation and exploration. This is more than a leap forward in processing power, it is a profound evolutionary pivot. By using lasers and extreme cooling to tame the coherent wave function of superpositioning, human ingenuity is establishing a functional toehold on the foundational matrix of creation. We are beginning to write data, solve problems, and process information using the exact, probabilistic code that nature uses to construct the universe itself. As this technology matures, humanity is moving from being passive tenants of a fixed physical world to active architects of an informational reality, forever altering our relationship with the fabric of existence.
Fred Sinclair is an Alfred NY writer who frequents subjects that you won’t read in the mainstream media. He welcomes questions and comments, fpsinclair@yahoo.com
