I hate to disappoint you, but quantum physics does NOT make faster than light (FTL) communication possible. Let me explain: quantum mechanics predicts that two particles that have a common past can be correlated (so-called entangled particles.) This is what you refer to as "being aware of each other". This correlation means that when you measure a physical property of one particle, the other particle will immediately have a correlated property. For instance: if you measure that particle A is "red", then particle B will immediately also be "red". However, and now comes the caveat, WHAT you actually measure each time is completely random. So A and B can also both be "blue", or "green" or whatever. You will end up with a random set of observations for particles A and B. Only by comparing these observations afterwards (for instance by using normal, lightspeed communication) you will discover that these observations have been correlated. You can never send a useful message this way *). Let me give one other analogy: if two roulette tables, one in Monte Carlo and one in Las Vegas, produced the same numbers at exactly the same time, would you be able to use this to win a lot of money? The answer is obviously no, for the same kind of reasons as that FTL communication is not possible using quantum correlations.
*) this technique can however be used to give to parties a copy of the same, completely random one-time pad to use for cryptography. The encrypted message will then of course have to be sent using classical, light-speed channels.
Slashdot Mirror
I hate to disappoint you, but quantum physics does NOT make faster than light (FTL) communication possible. Let me explain:
quantum mechanics predicts that two particles that have a common past can be correlated (so-called entangled particles.) This is what you refer to as "being aware of each other".
This correlation means that when you measure a physical property of one particle, the other particle will immediately have a correlated property. For instance: if you measure that particle A is "red", then particle B will immediately also be "red". However, and now comes the caveat, WHAT you actually measure each time is completely random. So A and B can also both be "blue", or "green" or whatever.
You will end up with a random set of observations for particles A and B. Only by comparing these observations afterwards (for instance by using normal, lightspeed communication) you will discover that these observations have been correlated. You can never send a useful message this way *).
Let me give one other analogy: if two roulette tables, one in Monte Carlo and one in Las Vegas, produced the same numbers at exactly the same time, would you be able to use this to win a lot of money? The answer is obviously no, for the same kind of reasons as that FTL communication is not possible using quantum correlations.
*) this technique can however be used to give to parties a copy of the same, completely random one-time pad to use for cryptography. The encrypted message will then of course have to be sent using classical, light-speed channels.