Schrödinger's cat

I saw a wonderful episode of Big Bang Theory yesterday. The lead character asks his neighbor out. Both our hero and his neighbor are nervous about the date and ask the hero’s roommate advice. They are both given the advice, Schrödinger's cat.

The theoretical experiment positions a cat inside a sealed box with a radioactive substance. If this substance decays, a trigger mechanism releases a poison killing the cat. Schrödinger used this example to explain the quantum theory of superposition, until we observe the state of an object, it is in all possible states simultaneously. So until the box is opened the cat is both alive and dead. This is a thought experiment and has never injured an actual cat.

While I think this is ridiculous when talking about cats, it relates meaningfully to relationships. Until you give a relationship a chance you will never know if it will work out.

Our hero takes it to mean you never know until you try. My favorite line of the show was after he kisses her and backs away. She declares, “The cat’s alive.”

This also relates to a writer’s work. Until you open the envelope you can be both rejected and accepted. Until you write the novel, you will never know if you will be able to do it well. Until you actually try, you can be both successful and a failure.

Once you’ve tried, you’ve opened the box.

Do you have the courage to open the box?