[LS]

That’s certainly not what I hear from admittedly “pop” scientists.

How can an atom be both positive and negative at the same time? How can particles “know” they are being watched when they go through the “slit” experiment?

[Telepathic Intruder]

Superposition and particle/wave duality. Those are laws of quantum mechanics, and although weird they are consistent and predictable. Impossible for us to understand because we don't live in the quantum world, we live in the classical one; all our experience is in there. There's a famous quote by Richard Feynman:

"If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics".

But classical physics has its own mysteries. Why is the speed of light what it is? Why are all atoms the same size? Why does mass produce space/time curvature? When you get down to the details, everything is a question mark.

[Lazamataz]

How can particles “know” they are being watched when they go through the “slit” experiment?

It's crazy.

But it's true.