The Cat of Schrödinger, arguably the most famous cat in the world, has become a prominent figure in popular culture. Its likeness can be found in cartoons, on t-shirts, board games, and even on coffee packaging. There is even a gin named after this iconic cat, boasting a “pronounced aroma of juniper.”
Yet, the origins of this cat are as enigmatic as the scientific principle it was meant to illustrate. While Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger devised the concept of the cat, it was American science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin who truly popularized it with her story “Cat Schrödinger,” published 50 years ago. Le Guin, a prolific author who passed away in 2018, left behind a rich literary legacy.
Schrödinger initially conceived the cat as a joke, introducing the famous image of the cat in the box in an article published in 1935 in the German magazine Naturwissenschaften. However, for years, this idea went largely unnoticed until it was referenced by philosopher of science Stevens French from the University of Leeds, with the term “Schrödinger cat” not appearing in literature for almost two decades.
American philosopher Hilary Putnam first encountered the concept of the Schrödinger cat around 1960, using it to highlight the uncertainty inherent in quantum mechanics. In his 1965 article, he critiqued the notion of the cat being simultaneously alive, dead, or neither until observed.
It wasn’t until 1974 when Ursula Le Guin published her story “Schrödinger Cat” in a science fiction anthology that the cat gained widespread recognition. Le Guin was fascinated by the concept of uncertainty symbolized by the cat and utilized it in her