The "spooky" phenomenon, as Einstein called it, of entangled particles will someday have such practical uses that no one will be able to recall how we lived without them. But of course this is years from being reality unless we have a major breakthrough in our understanding of quantum mechanics.

What is it?
A pair of subatomic particles can become entangled, meaning that the state of one particle is instantly mirrored in the second particle no matter how far apart they are. And by instantly I mean faster than the speed of light, actually 7 million times faster than the speed of light.

How does it work?
No one knows, in fact hardly anyone has a clue. But the great thing is that for these applications it doesn't matter how it works, just that it does.

OK we will start with the obvious and the most likely use... interstellar communications or at first interplanetary communications. Imagine real-time video from Jupiter. Not to mention control of the spacecraft.

Now back on earth... walkie-talkies that can span the globe. And talk about a secure line, there would be no way intercept or jam the communications.

by Tim Pruett

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