Topic: Quantum Mechanics

President Trump described testing as a "double-edged sword," suggesting that high testing volumes lead to more recorded cases and asking his team to "slow the testing down." A satirical commentary compared Trump's logic to quantum mechanics, where the act of measurement makes a property real. The segment poked fun at the idea that not testing would actually reduce the presence of the virus.

Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder's explanation of quantum measurement is applied to Donald Trump's claims regarding COVID-19 testing. The theory suggests that the act of measuring a property makes it real; therefore, Trump's assertion that less testing results in fewer cases is framed as a deep, perhaps unintentional, understanding of quantum mechanics. This "4D chess" interpretation suggests that cases only "appear" upon the act of testing.

Physicist Brian Greene discusses the scientific basis for the multiverse theory on NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Greene explains that mathematical models in quantum mechanics and cosmology suggest our universe may be just one of many in a grander multiverse. The hosts apply this concept to the current political climate, suggesting that individuals exist in different "wavelengths" or realities based on their information consumption and personal programming.