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Einstein hated entanglement — and five other quantum myths

There’s nothing intuitive about quantum theory — six physicists debunk some of the most common misconceptions.
By
  1. Maria Violaris

    1. Maria Violaris works on quantum foundations as an academic visitor at the University of Oxford, UK, and on quantum computing at Oxford Quantum Circuits, Reading, UK.

  2. Estelle Inack

    1. Estelle Inack is a research scientist at the Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, Canada.

  3. Sabine Hossenfelder

    1. Sabine Hossenfelder is a physicist and member of the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy in Munich, Germany.

  4. Norma G. Sanchez

    1. Norma G. Sanchez, is the founder and director of research at the International School-Institute of Astrophysics Daniel Chalonge – Hector de Vega, CNRS-INSU, Sorbonne University, Paris, France.

  5. Shweta Agrawal

    1. Shweta Agrawal is a professor of computer science at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India.

  6. Emily Adlam

    1. Emily Adlam is an assistant professor in the philosophy of quantum physics at Chapman University, Orange, California.

A conceptual illustration showing some geometric shapes surrounding a colourful representation of a warped space-time curvature.

Illustration: Sandro Rybak

Quantum mechanics is unquestionably a robust and successful theory — so far, all its predictions have held, and scientists can build powerful technologies based on it. Yet, understanding what it tells us about the nature of reality and how we experience it has proven tricky. Physicists and philosophers have been grappling with it for a century, ironing out some of the early ambiguities, but some conceptual problems remain. And the non-intuitive nature of quantum physics makes it fertile ground for misunderstandings. Here, six physicists explore the origins of widespread myths about quantum history, theory and applications.

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Nature 644, 866-869 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02638-z

Competing Interests

E.I. is co-founder and CTO at yiyaniQ, Toronto, Canada.

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