Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
Quantum physics has a reputation as strange – and indeed even ‘spooky’ – because it seems at odds with our everyday experience of the world. After all, we never come across objects that are entangled across distances, act as both particles and waves, or exist in two places at once. So why don’t the characteristics of the Universe that we know to exist at atomic and subatomic levels seem to ‘scale up’? As this BBC Ideas animation reveals, it’s a question that physicists are still trying to untangle, and has huge implications for the future of quantum theory. Featuring entertaining animations accompanying lively explanations by the US scientist and writer Adam Becker, the short takes a brief dive into the current crossroads of quantum physics, as well as looking at how scientists may endeavour to solve lingering questions about the quantum world and help move forward our understanding of the Universe.
Video by BBC Ideas
Animation: Pomona Pictures
video
Chemistry
Why do the building blocks of life possess a mysterious symmetry?
12 minutes
video
Cosmology
Tiny, entangled universes that form or fizzle out – a theory of the quantum multiverse
11 minutes
video
Astronomy
The history of astronomy is a history of conjuring intelligent life where it isn’t
34 minutes
video
Metaphysics
Simple entities in universal harmony – Leibniz’s evocative perspective on reality
4 minutes
video
Biography and memoir
Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act
13 minutes
video
Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
video
Cognition and intelligence
What’s this buzz about bees having culture? Inside a groundbreaking experiment
8 minutes
video
Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
video
Cosmology
The Indian astronomer whose innovative work on black holes was mocked at Cambridge
13 minutes