Tsinghua PhD Explains the "quantum World" of Marvel Movies

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" is an important node that connects the third and fourth phases of the Marvel Universe. The "quantum world" in the story is the most critical concept in opening up the new Marvel multiverse.

The film will be released in IMAX 3D format on August 24th. Let's take a look at the trailer first~

Quantum state, quantum channel, quantum world, quantum entanglement... As geek movie fans, we must first understand these brain-burning concepts before watching "Ant-Man and the Wasp" so that we can better appreciate the mystery of the movie.

Special thanks to Wang Ce, a Ph.D. in quantum physics from Tsinghua University, for working with us to unlock the quantum code behind "Ant-Man".

Wang Ce
Tsinghua University
PhD in Quantum Physics and Machine Learning
Published many papers on "Quantum topological state dynamics and interaction effects"
Papers on "Machine Learning Methods for Physics Research" etc.

Although quantum is the smallest thing in the universe, what is interesting is that it represents the greatest scientific breakthrough in the last century and hides infinite possibilities.

In Marvel's "Ant-Man" story, Dr. Hank Pym discovered that "Pym particles" can allow matter to move in and out of another dimension of space, thereby making things bigger or smaller. He personally turned Scott Lang into the ant-sized superhero "Ant-Man".

Janet van Dyne, Pym's wife and the "original Wasp", shrunk herself into the quantum world in order to prevent a nuclear bomb explosion and disappeared for 30 years.

In "Ant-Man 1", Scott Lang was briefly trapped in the quantum world, but he adjusted his Ant-Man suit and escaped; so the story of "Ant-Man and the Wasp" revolves around everyone going to the quantum world to save Janet van Dyne.

The fourth phase of Marvel movies will place more emphasis on the multiverse and interstellar exploration; Ant-Man and the "quantum concept" will also play a crucial role in "Avengers 4"!

Quantum mechanics is not a movie story, it is the essential law that governs the composition and operation of all things in this world.

When everything is reduced to a microscopic state, you will discover a world full of strange phenomena where everything is possible!

We know that matter is made up of atoms; atoms are made up of atomic nuclei and electrons orbiting the nuclei, which we collectively call subatomic particles.

Electrons are actually a kind of "wave".

Although everything in the world is made up of electrons, the "existence of matter" depends on the characteristics of different waves, so everyone looks completely different.

The properties of these matter waves determine the space and distance of electrons as they orbit the nucleus.

This is the most strict order system in the universe: electrons are separated by great distances, so there is a lot of space in the atoms made up of them, which is almost empty.

The Pauli Exclusion Principle of electrons dictates that they are not allowed to exist in exactly the same position at the same time, so the little friends need to maintain a large safe distance between each other.

Electrons of the same charge repel each other.

In the "Ant-Man" story, the "Pym particles" can reset the spatial distance between electrons, thereby making objects "bigger or smaller". This is an artistic "physics thought experiment".

Imagine watching this kind of "enlarging and shrinking" special effect on the IMAX giant screen with an extra 26% of picture. Wouldn't it be even more exciting?

Not only that, the IMAX theater's stunning sound system makes the buzzing sound of Ant-Man and the Wasp's wings in the microscopic world seem as if it's right next to your ears, doubling the auditory experience.

Let’s talk about the “Quantum Tunneling” in the film.

Although "quantum tunneling" is imaginary, it is entirely possible for subatomic particles (electrons) to "travel" through solid matter under the weird effects of quantum mechanics!

At the subatomic scale, you never know where a particle is or where it's going; when you try to measure its position accurately, you can't measure its trajectory, and vice versa.

Therefore, the wave function of "matter wave" can also be interpreted as "probability density wave".

In other words, all we can do is describe the probability that a particle may be at a certain location at any given moment.

Use the "Schrödinger Equation" given by the "Cat Killer" Schrödinger.

Therefore, there is always a possibility (however tiny) that a particle will end up where it shouldn't be, such as on the other side of a wall.

This phenomenon is called "quantum tunneling".

The faster a particle moves, the more energy it has and the greater the chance that it will pass through some "impossible obstacle."

If you want to pass through a wall in the quantum state, you have to run as fast as possible and try over and over again to get a very small chance of success - but it is not impossible.

Practical applications of "quantum tunneling" include stellar nuclear fusion and solid-state devices such as artificial transistors.

The villain Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp actually demonstrated "quantum tunneling" in a macroscopic way. She must have changed her wave function and wave state in some way, so that the probability of "tunneling" is close to 100%.

If she mastered this "superpower", she could appear in almost all kinds of incredible places at the same time, not just "walking through walls".

In quantum physics, the most bizarre concept is "quantum entanglement".

It is:

A way in which one particle affects another particle seemingly instantaneously, no matter how far apart they are.

When "two particles are in an entangled state", the states of the two particles affect each other.

For example, let's say we have two coins, one blue and one red - Coin 1 and Coin 2.

Suppose two quantum coins are entangled and we place them in separate opaque boxes so that no one knows their respective colors.

Now, someone runs to the other side of the galaxy with the box of coin 1; when we open the box containing coin 1 and look at the color, we can be 100% sure what the color of coin 2 is.

What’s even more amazing is that before the box is opened, coin 1 is neither blue nor red. It is only after being observed that it is possible to determine whether it is blue or red.

The state of the coin in the box when it is not being observed is described mathematically by one of the quantum wave functions as a "superposition" of blue and red.

When I look at the color of coin 1, it becomes fixed to one color, while coin 2 on the other side of the galaxy immediately changes to another color.

If you open the box and observe the color of coin 2, it is considered that the quantum entanglement is broken.

You must wait eagerly for my exclusive messages to travel across the galaxy to truly determine who you are.

Therefore, quantum entanglement can be used in cryptography and next-generation supercomputing devices.

The quantum world is a crazy universe! The deeper you understand it, all the known physical laws of the macroscopic world, the dimensions of time and distance, the direction of object movement... will be broken, and all kinds of new possibilities will emerge - this is why the smartest minds in the world are obsessed with it!

The scientific consultant for the "Ant-Man" film series is Spyridon Michalakis, a quantum physicist at the California Institute of Technology. It is said that the plot and special effects of the film are designed based on scientific research results, and scientists are also deeply involved in the creation.

▲ Quantum physics expert Spyridon (left) and Stan Lee (right)

▲ Spyridon (left) and the main creative team of "Ant-Man"

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" not only excites movie fans, but also makes people who do quantum physics research more excited.

It uses the IMAX giant screen to present a microscopic quantum world imagined by science. Researchers who are engaged in quantum physics research also want to see what this world will look like in the hands of a top visual creative team.

▲ The quantum world "designed" by physicists for Marvel

▲ The "black hole" in Nolan's "Interstellar" is designed entirely based on the theoretical model of Kip Thorne, a physics professor at the California Institute of Technology.

It is recommended that you choose the IMAX 3D version to watch Ant-Man and the Wasp. In addition to the immersive cinema experience that geeks pursue, there is also the most practical advantage - it has an additional 26% frame than other formats, which will make the audio-visual experience more enjoyable!