Physics goes social: how behaviour obeys quantum logic

Thomas Holtfort, Andreas Horsch

Abstract The social and economic sciences are grounded on the basic assumption that social life, decision-making behavior, and consciousness are classical physical and therefore material phenomena. Quantum social science, a new research area, which refers to the knowledge and interpretations of quantum physics, is challenging this assumption. This paper gives an overview of quantum social science and explains quantum decision theory on the one hand with a focus on the cognitive biases first elaborated by Kahneman & Tversky, and on the other hand by Darwin´s theory of evolution.

F. J. Duarte

Quantum computing is a very active field producing many publications and varied perspectives. A quantum computer, as the name suggests, is a computer that can operate at the quantum level thus offering enormous improvements in energy consumption and size reductions. Significant size reductions and the use of photons should also lead to vast improvements in computational speed. The concept of a quantum computer goes beyond physical computers and seeks to offer an alternative universal computer. It does so by utilizing analogs to bits known as qubits. The interferometric computer is a macroscopic apparatus that allows the control of photon propagation via the probabilistic laws of quantum mechanics. The term quantum computer, however, applies to devices at the atomic scale that can be used to control the emission and/or propagation of quantum radiation obeying quantum logic rules.

Bentley B. Allan

Kathryn Schaffer, Gabriela Barreto Lemos

Abstract This essay provides a short introduction to the ideas and potential implications of quantum physics for scholars in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Quantum-inspired ideas pepper current discourse in all of these fields, in ways that range from playful metaphors to sweeping ontological claims. We explain several of the most important concepts at the core of quantum theory, carefully delineating the scope and bounds of currently established science, in order to aid the evaluation of such claims. In particular, we emphasize that the smallest units of matter and light, as described in quantum physics, are notthings, meaning that they do not obey the logic we take for granted when discussing the behavior of macroscopic objects. We also highlight the substantial debate that exists within physics about the interpretation of the equations and empirical results at the core of quantum physics, noting that implicit (and contested) philosophical commitments necessarily accompany any discussion of quantum ideas that takes place in non-technical language.