Excellent question. The short answer is:
No, objects in the Newtonian world do not exhibit quantum entanglement.
Entanglement is a purely quantum phenomenon, with no counterpart in classical Newtonian physics.
Let’s unpack that more clearly:
🔹 1.
Newtonian Worldview: Separability & Determinism
In Newtonian (classical) physics, the world is made up of:
- Objects with well-defined, independent properties, like position, momentum, mass.
- Causal interactions through forces (e.g., gravity), which occur locally in space and time.
- Separability: Two objects are always distinct and can be fully described independently of one another.
Thus, if you know the state of Object A and Object B separately, you also know the state of the A+B system.
There is no mystery in their relationship.
🔹 2.
Quantum Entanglement: Non-Separability & Nonlocality
By contrast, in quantum mechanics:
- Entangled particles do not have individual, separate states.
- Their properties are correlated in a way that cannot be explained by any classical cause.
- You cannot describe the whole system as simply the sum of its parts.
Entanglement shows that the whole is more than the sum of the parts, and the parts themselves don’t fully exist independently.
🔹 3. Why Classical Objects Don’t Show Entanglement
Quantum entanglement only manifests clearly at microscopic scales (e.g., photons, electrons, atoms) and under very precise conditions (e.g., isolation from environment).
Why?
- Decoherence: In the macroscopic, Newtonian world, interactions with the environment constantly “measure” the system, destroying entanglement.
- Scale and Complexity: Entanglement is fragile. A single interaction with air, light, or heat can disrupt it. Macroscopic objects are always interacting.
So while entanglement might be present at the microscopic level inside macroscopic systems, it is effectively washed out, and Newtonian laws emerge as approximations.
🔹 Summary Table
|
Feature |
Newtonian Objects |
Quantum Entangled Systems |
|
Independence |
Fully separate |
Non-separable |
|
Local Causality |
Yes |
No (nonlocal correlations) |
|
Determinism |
Deterministic |
Probabilistic |
|
Objectivity |
Observer-independent |
Observer-participatory |
|
Scales |
Macroscopic |
Microscopic (primarily) |
🔹 Final Thought
Newtonian objects are not entangled, because the Newtonian worldview requires separability and independent identity.
Entanglement requires letting go of that metaphysics — and entering a world where relation precedes identity, and becoming takes priority over being.
Would you like to explore how entanglement decoheres into classical reality? Or perhaps what this implies philosophically — say, for the idea of the “self” as a Newtonian object vs. a quantum relational process?