Chapter 1: The Enigma of Claps

You might have observed a curious occurrence in your statistics. This is especially true if you share my fascination with numbers. I'm referring to the odd situation where articles receive claps without any reads. Yes, I admit to having a collection of these "skunked" pieces.

My Collection of Skunks

These are the articles that have flopped.

For a considerable time, it seemed that indifferent visitors to Medium were giving my pieces claps without actually engaging with them. Perhaps it was a form of charity clap? Much like tossing a coin into a street performer's hat—both generous and a tad cruel, offering just enough motivation to continue this seemingly pointless endeavor, yet lacking the genuine reward of being read. This is critical if I want to catch up with Amalia in Dubai.

Worst of all are the solitary claps. Are these gestures from individuals unaware that they can applaud more than once? Do the articles merit such a dismal rating of one out of fifty? Or are they from those struggling with physical fitness, for whom even a brief button press feels like too much effort?

However, I believe I may have unraveled this conundrum. These claps without accompanying reads can be attributed to a quantum phenomenon. Readers who fancy themselves intellectuals, like myself (though I’m not fooling anyone), may have encountered the enigmatic idea known as Schrödinger’s Cat.

Chapter 2: Understanding Schrödinger's Cat

For those not well-versed in the subject, Schrödinger's cat can be summarized as a thought experiment in quantum physics. Proposed by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger in 1935, it serves to illustrate the strange characteristics of quantum mechanics and its apparent contradictions with classical physics, like the familiar apple falling from a tree.

In this thought experiment, a (thankfully hypothetical) cat is confined within a sealed box alongside a vial of poison, a Geiger counter, and a radioactive isotope. This isotope has a 50% chance of decaying within a specified time, which would trigger the Geiger counter and release the poison, ultimately ending the cat’s life. Until the box is opened, however, we cannot ascertain whether the isotope has decayed or not. At least, that’s my interpretation of the idea.

According to quantum mechanics, which is indeed real but quite peculiar, until someone opens the box, the cat exists in a superposition of being both alive and dead simultaneously. This is somewhat akin to the current state of the UK’s Conservative government, if you're looking for an analogy.

It is only when the box is opened, revealing the state of the bewildered cat, that the superposition collapses into one of the two possible outcomes. This experiment is frequently used to elucidate the concept of superposition and the measurement problem in quantum mechanics—the notion that measurement can fundamentally alter the state of a quantum system. It has also sparked extensive philosophical discussions, with some arguing that it underscores the limits of our grasp on reality. Rest assured, no animals were harmed in this thought experiment.

Here’s a video featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson explaining Schrödinger's Cat, offering further insight into this fascinating concept.

Chapter 3: The Concept of Schrödinger’s Clap

It appears that claps without reads serve as evidence of this peculiar quantum realm in operation—readers who are both present and absent, a phenomenon I shall refer to as Schrödinger’s Clap.

If I look away, the readers materialize, much like the crew teleporting from the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek. However, when I check my statistics, they seem to vanish. The claps stand as the only proof of these transient quantum visitors who leave no trace on Medium's outdated technology, which lacks the sophistication to detect these enigmatic readers.

Consequently, it seems wise to stop fixating on my statistics, allowing the readers to appear as if by magic. I will attempt this for a period of 24 hours and observe whether it proves effective.

Stay tuned for updates!

In this video, you can watch a demonstration of Schrödinger's Cat concept in an engaging way, particularly focused on the execution of the thought experiment.

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