What happened first, the chicken or the egg? Physicists finally have the answer | Science | New

Philosophers have debated the question that arose for the first time in ancient Greece, but now, 3,000 years later, we now have the answer.

To answer the paradox, scientists turned to quantum physics.

Physicists from the University of Queensland and the NÉEL Institute have shown that, in fact, both are the first.

Dr. Jacqui Romero stated that in the field of quantum mechanics, cause and effect is not so simple as one event leading to another.

Dr. Romero said, "The strangeness of quantum mechanics means that events can occur without a definite order.

"Let's take the example of your daily trip to work, where you travel partly by bus and partly by train.

"Normally, you take the bus then the train, or vice versa. In our experience, these two events can occur first.

"It's called" indefinite causal order "and it's not something we can observe in our daily lives."

Physicists have made this discovery using a device called a photonic quantum switch.

Dr. Fabio Costa, researcher, explained that with the device, they could see that the order of events depended on the polarization – the ability of light waves to move in multiple directions.

He said: "By measuring the polarization of the photons at the output of the quantum switch, we were able to show that the order of the transformations on the shape of the light was not regulated.

"This is only a first proof of principle, but on a larger scale, the indefinite causal order can have real practical applications, such as making computers more efficient or improving communication."

However, if you still do not quite understand, no need to worry, quantum mechanics is notoriously difficult to understand and even the best brains in the world still can not understand it.

The late Richard Feynman, considered one of the godfathers of quantum physics, once said, "I think I can say no one understands quantum mechanics."