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New England Journal of Medicine

An Apology

Lewis Thomas

Published May 13, 1976• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The role of the observer in biologic research is complicated but not bizarre: he or she simply observes, describes, interprets, maybe once in a while emits a hoarse shout, but that is that; the act of observing does not alter fundamental aspects of the things observed, or anyway isn't supposed to.It is very different in modern physics. The uncertainty principle doesn't mean that the observer necessarily destroys the precise momentum, or shifts the particle, in the act of observing, although these things happen. It is a more profound effect. The observer and his apparatus create the reality to be . . .

DOI
10.1056/nejm197605132942009

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The role of the observer in biologic research is complicated but not bizarre: he or she simply observes, describes, interprets, maybe once in a while emits a hoarse shout, but that is that; the act of observing does not alter fundamental aspects of the things observed, or anyway isn't supposed to.It is very different in modern physics. The uncertainty principle doesn't mean that the observer necessarily destroys the precise momentum, or shifts the particle, in the act of observing, although these things happen. It is a more profound effect. The observer and his apparatus create the reality to be . . .
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Heisenberg argued that wave and particle are too exclusively different in properties, making the intrinsic wave-quantum unity of light impossible to visualize and describe by the language. He invented mathematical Quantum Theory to circumvent visualization and inadequacy of language. But mathematics too is a language to supplement description. He used it to superimpose hidden concepts leading to the Uncertainty Principle. In Unified Theory the wave & particle aspects of electromagnetic radiation and moving material particle coexist blended together as wave-quantum UNITY. This is also supported by experiments. The wave-or-quantum DUALITIES of Quantum Theory appear due to experimental limitations to observe only one and not both of the two aspects simultaneously. Conservation of mass & momentum are inviolable. Matter‘s creation from, or dissolution into, ‘nothing’ is unrealistic. So the Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle is rejected as unrealistic and new Principle of Null Action with universal applications is introduced. The Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Theory is reappraised critically. This paper will bring out and rectify the unreality of Heisenberg-Bohr [1] approach and also explain from sharmon medium of the Unified Theory [2], the Wave-Quantum 'unity' appearing as Wave-or-Quantum 'duality', which the Quantum Theory was all about but could not explain satisfactorily. The Uncertainty Principle will be rejected as unrealistic and a new Principle of Null Action with universal applications introduced. The Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Theory will be critically reappraised. 1. The objective reality exists irrespective of the observer We observe an object through the signals, emanating or reflected from it, received by our senses and interpreted by the brain/mind. The human senses and intellect have their own limitations and the mediating signals themselves introduce some distortion or uncertainty of observation. It turns precise objective reality into imprecise subjective appearance. Heisenberg [1] made the subjective imprecision as the very nature of things and based his Quantum Theory on the observer's imprecise view of the intrinsically precise physical reality. But the physical objects, phenomena and events, which their theories purport to describe, do not actually need any observer for their existence and are, in fact, governed by NOT the observed but actual magnitudes of their physical parameters like energy, momentum, time, length etc. For instance, the moon or distant galaxies or invisible submicroscopic particles exist not only during the attention of the viewer but also without an observer. In order to formulate physical laws in terms of the observed or measured magnitudes, the Quantum Theory is erroneously based on “what can be known”, instead of on “what actually there is”, in the objective reality. That is on the observed, and not on the actual magnitudes, putting the observer's imprecise view super-most in derogation of the inherent precision in the observed objective reality. 2. Wave-or-Quantum duality of matter & radiation in Quantum Theory Heisenberg [1] noted with scientific curiosity and concern that the -rays emitted from radioactive elements showed definite tracks in Wilson photographs like fast moving particles.
Since every substance has a price tag of information that includes all the building blocks in our universe, one cannot simply ignore information when dealing with science. We have shown that there is a profound connection between information and entropy, a quantity that has been well accepted in science. Without this connection, information would be more difficult to apply in science. Two of the most important pillars in modern physics must be Einstein’s relativity theory and Schrödinger’s quantum mechanics. However, there exists a profound connection between them, by means of Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Due to the uncertainty relation, we see that every bit of information takes time and energy to transfer, create, and observe. Since one cannot create something from nothing, anything to be created needs a huge amount of energy and a great deal of entropy to make it happen.