Predstav′te, chto u vas est′ yashhik s radioaktivnym yadrom i emkost′yu s yadovitym gazom. Veroyatnost′ togo, chto yadro raspadetsya i privedet v dejstvie mechanizm, otkryvayushhij emkost′, sostavlyaet 50%. Esli v etot yashhik pomestit′ kota i zakryt′ ego, vozniknet paradoks SHryodingera. Soglasno kvantovoj mechanike, esli nad yadrom ne proizvoditsya nablyudeniya, to ego sostoyanie opisyvaetsya smesheniem dvuch sostoyanij - raspavshegosya i neraspavshegosya yadra, sledovatel′no, kot, sidyashhij v yashhike, i zhiv, i mertv odnovremenno.