Definition
A schrödinbug is a term for a software bug that only appears after someone notices it. Before this discovery, the software seemed to function correctly.
However, a detailed review of the code or experimentation with the settings reveals that it shouldn’t work. After that, the software starts to fail as expected.
The term “schrödinbug” comes from Schrödinger’s cat experiment in quantum mechanics, suggesting that an object can exist in multiple states (like a cat being alive and dead) until it is observed.
Schrödin Bug Incidence
Schrödinbugs are uncommon and usually found in complex systems where interactions between different code components can conceal the issue.
The bug may reside in parts of the program that haven’t been activated during everyday use or involve subtle errors that don’t cause noticeable problems.
When developers try to fix the hidden issue, running the code under different conditions can reveal the schrödinbug.
This can lead to situations where developers overlook flaws to maintain system stability, as the system may function correctly for now, and attempts to debug could result in significant downtime.