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Quantum mechanics and philosophy: impossible interview to W. Heisenberg (1901-1976)

D. Bisero

Published Jan 1, 2013• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The author imagines to interview the Nobel Laureate in Physics of the year 1932, who has been one of the Founding Fathers of quantum mechanics, and other distinguished colleagues. The answers of W. Heisenberg and his colleagues are based on the Nobel Lecture that Heisenberg delivered during the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony and other texts.

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WHAT IS QUANTUM MECHANICS? A remarkable feature of the 1968 conference of Nobel prize winners in physics at Lindau is that it was possible for me to ask such a question in the presence of two of the founders of quantum mechanics, Werner Heisenberg and P.A.M. Dirac, more than 30 years after the discovery, in a lecture attended by 400 students who had recently begun their study of the subject. Several answers to the question are possible. The only easy one is that quantum mechanics is a discipline that provides a wonderful set of rules for calculating physical properties of matter. For such simple systems as hydrogen and helium atoms the calculated energy levels agree with experiment to fantastic accuracy. In more complicated cases the computations are difficult and the accuracy is lower, but it is reasonable to believe, in principle at least, that the theory would be adequate if only the calculational problems could be overcome.
Abstract There is a certain similarity in the early lives of Planck and of Heisenberg [1,2]. Both had fathers who were professors at the University of Munich, both visited the Maximilians-Gymnasium in Munich, and both went to see a professor in Munich to seek advice for their studies. We have mentioned at the beginning of the Prologue how Jolly in vain tried to dissuade Planck from studying physics. Heisenberg, in his autobiographic book [3], which is devised as a series of conversations, tells us of a similar experience. In the autumn of 1920, when he was about to enter the university, his first choice was mathematics. He wanted not only to do course work but also learn about problems of current interest. This, he thought, he could do best by participating in a professor’s seminar usually reserved to advanced students and Ph.D. candidates. He asked for an interview with Lindemann , the most distinguished mathematician in Munich, who was famous for having proved that the number π is transcendental. But the old professor and the young student found no understanding, partly because Lindemann’s dog noisily interfered. The result was that Heisenberg opted for theoretical physics and went to ask Sommerfeld to be admitted to his seminar. Sommerfeld agreed. At that time Pauli, only a year older than Heisenberg, was already actively doing research under Sommerfeld. The two young men became life-long friends.
One critic of Quantum Physics was, reportedly, Albert Einstein, to whom this quote is ascribed: “Quantum mechanics is certainly imposing. But an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. The theory says a lot, but does not really bring us any closer to the secret of the 'old one'. I, at any rate, am convinced that He does not throw dice”. In this booklet, criticisms towards some claims of some Nobel Prize Laureates in Physics, such as Max Planck, Louis de Broglie, Erwin Schrodinger, Max Born, Werner Heisenberg, Paul Dirac, Richard Feynman, Gerardus 't Hooft, are explained with detailed math.'s physical descriptions as to where these famous physicists were wrong. In Chapter 1 of this booklet it is shown that Maxwell's equations and Classic Physics, can explain some of the phenomena such as the Photoelectric Effect satisfyingly. In Chapter 2 it is explained that, though well encouraging, still taking the Nobel Prizes' money would be unethical and immoral, since that money was initially earned by the sale of dynamite which was also used, unfortunately, for killings. Justice would have been if that money would have been given to its victims or to their surviving families.