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Behavioral and Brain Sciences

At home in the quantum world

Harald Atmanspacher A

Published May 14, 2013• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

One among many misleading quotations about the alleged mysteries of quantum theory is from Feynman (1965): "I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics." Today we know that quantum theory describes many aspects of our world in a fully intelligible fashion. Pothos & Busemeyer (P&B) propose ways in which this may include psychology and cognitive science.

DOI
10.1017/s0140525x12002853

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One among many misleading quotations about the alleged mysteries of quantum theory is from Feynman (1965): "I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics." Today we know that quantum theory describes many aspects of our world in a fully intelligible fashion. Pothos & Busemeyer (P&B) propose ways in which this may include psychology and cognitive science.
Mr Administrator,Dear colleagues,Ladies and gentlemen,“I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics”. This statement, made by physicist Richard Feynman, expresses a paradoxical truth about the scientific theory that revolutionised our understanding of Nature and made an extraordinary contribution to our means of acting on and gaining information about the world. In this lecture, I will discuss quantum physics with you by attempting to resolve this paradox. And if I don’...
Written at a level appropriate for an educated lay audience, this paper attempts to give a primarily conceptual overview of a framework recently introduced in reference [3] by this author, which attempts to clarify what quantum mechanics tells us about reality. Physicists may find this pa-per useful because it focuses on the central ideas of the framework at a conceptual level, thereby lessening their unfamiliarity, an unavoidable fea-ture of truly novel ideas. The author hopes that this article will motivate physicists to seriously evaluate the mathematical details of the framework given in the original reference...I think I can safely say that nobody understands Quantum Mechanics.”[1]
Many quantum predictions seem to defy “common sense” and appear beyond the comprehension of some of the greatest human minds. Richard Feynman states that “ I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics ” in his book entitled The Character of Physical Laws . 1 Many pioneers of quantum theories have constructed examples to highlight this situation. These examples are now known as quantum paradoxes . Moreover, the common understanding that only microscopic systems behave quantum mechanically is incorrect. Macroscopic systems, e.g., superconducting systems and Bose-Einstein condensate, also exhibit quantum behaviour. These systems do not satisfy the properties of orthodox quantum systems. 2
Niels Bohr had the following to say about quantum mechanics: Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum mechanics cannot possibly have understood it. Richard Feynman was of the opinion that no one understands quantum mechanics: I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics. Do not keep saying to yourself, if you can possibly avoid it, “But how can it be like that?” because you will get “down the drain” into a blind alley from which nobody has yet escaped. Nobody knows how it can be like that.