Don't worry, it's not like the universe will disappear if you blink (probably), but there is mounting evidence to suggest that reality might not be as real as we thought. It's a pretty longstanding idea in quantum physics, that subatomic particles exist in a dual state of both particle and wave until they are observed, at which point they will "decide" which they are. This, in a sense, means that they're both, neither and for all intents and purposes, theoretical until you observe them. This is actually pretty easy (well, as easy as wrestling with the weirdest things in the universe can be) to demonstrate with subatomic particles because they're simple and light, but in a recent experiment at the Australian National University, scientists have managed to do it with a more complex helium atom. In the experiment, they used different combinations of filters, randomly applied, to "make" the particle behave like either a wave or a particle. The result was that either the particle really was deciding whether to be a particle or wave when measured, or it was deciding its past state based on a future event. Both are weird, but the first option is more likely, which would mean that the nature of reality is much more "speculative" until you actually observe it. Does science make you tingle in your special place? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for plenty more.Want to write for WhatCulture Science? Click here to find out how you could get paid to write about what you love.
