A recent publication in the scientific journal “Nature” by researchers from the University of Toronto and the University of New South Wales has shown that certain light-absorbing molecules commonly found in photosynthetic plants may transfer energy based on quantum mechanical principles. It was previously assumed that classical mechanics, like electromagnetism, controlled the plants, and the secret surrounding the high efficiency of these cells has, until now, remained unresolved. New research indicates that proteins may use a characteristic of quantum probability theory known as “quantum coherence” to transmit energy between themselves in almost no time at all. Quantum coherence is a phenomenon that allows particles that are “entangled,” or linked together, to share information across great distances at a speed much faster than the speed of light. Essentially, this side-steps all of that Einsteinian special relativity mumbo jumbo .
Once the mechanism behind these photosynthetic cells is better understood, researchers hope to employ quantum coherence in the production of solar cells and other forms of alternate power. Could the link between modern technology and the strange world of quantum mechanics lie in the leaves of the average houseplant? The answer remains to be seen, but rest assured, there’s more to Aunt Rhonda’s petunias than meets the eye.