Superposition is a mystery in physics. We observe something that feels impossible. We are seeing matter in multiple potential positions until we look. Almost as if we are seeing matter in two different places at the same time or something like that. You might have heard of this
The traditional explanation says a quantum object—like an electron—exists in multiple states at once. Imagine flipping a coin but only seeing heads or tails when you look—before that, it’s both. Or could be both.
To me, that sounds magical, and as an empirical pragmatist, I don’t like that explanation. I think superposition is better described as potential. When you flip a coin and look at it, it can be either heads or tails, but not both. Luckily for me, some theoretical physicists also view superposition this way.
However, the wave-particle duality of physical matter is still a mystery. In the double-slit experiment, a single particle acts like a wave of possibilities, passing through both slits at the same time—until we observe it. Then, it acts like a particle, choosing just one path. Although I think of this as potential, physicists seem to be seeing more than just potential.
They use math to describe this potential—because math is the language of the universe. The big open question is: Are they describing potential states, or the true reality of all states at once?
In a way, quantum mechanics isn’t just science—it’s a study of possibilities. We still don’t have a good explanation for the wave nature of particles, atoms, and smaller molecules, so theoretical physicists have to guess. These speculative guesses include additional spatial dimensions and sometimes even an extra time dimension—such as backward time for antimatter.
These currently unproven ideas include concepts like the multiverse. If my view is wrong, and these particles, atoms, and molecules actually exist in all possible states at the same time, then one possible explanation is the multiverse theory.