We fill the rooms in our lives, sort of

 

This statement is a simplified interpretation of quantum mechanics, particularly the idea that matter at its fundamental level is composed of energy, electrons, and atoms. According to quantum theory, matter can be described both as particles and waves, and the behavior of particles at the quantum level is often probabilistic rather than deterministic.

In a sense, when we leave a room, the particles that make up the objects in the room continue to exist and interact with each other according to the laws of physics. However, at the quantum level, particles can exhibit behaviors like superposition and entanglement, which can lead to seemingly strange phenomena.

For example, when we're not observing a system, its properties can be described by a probability distribution known as a wave function. This means that, at any given moment, there's a range of possible states that the system could be in. When we observe the system, the act of measurement "collapses" the wave function into one of these possible states, and we perceive the system in a particular configuration.

So, in a way, one could say that at the quantum level, matter exists in a sort of indeterminate state until it is observed or measured. However, this doesn't mean that everything "reverts to energy" when we're not looking. Instead, it means that the behavior of particles at the quantum level is governed by probabilities and wave functions.

When we return to a room and observe the objects within it, we see them in their familiar configurations because our observations collapse the wave functions associated with those objects into specific states. This is consistent with the principles of quantum mechanics and our understanding of how particles behave at the smallest scales.