ABSTRACT Sanna-Maria Salmi Quantum phenomena changing the world? ̶ A descriptive literature review 116 p. December, 2018. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences Master’s Degree in Health Care Master of Social Services Master’s Degree Programme of Community Development, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Quantum physics revolutionized our understanding of reality approximately a hundred years ago. The Newtonian classical, mechanistical paradigm was challenged by the quantum theory. The development in physics has often been unnoticed in the other sciences. It has been said that the mechanistical paradigm cannot solve the problems that humanity is facing. It has even been said that many of today’s problems are caused by the dualistic understanding of the human, society and reality. The aim of this research is to find out in which ways the paradigm shift in quantum physics has inspired the development of new ideas in social sciences and healthcare and in which ways these ideas could be used to shape the future. The goal of this thesis is to produce a concise, easily accessible, general view for the reader to gain an understanding of the “quantum” phenomena. If one so chooses, this could also provide tools for reflecting on one’s own worldview, the general western worldview, identity, work and organizations from this perspective. It could even provide inspiration to start working as a transformation agent in one’s own environment, in order to question the existing structures. The research was carried out using the descriptive literature review method. Research material was gathered from the several databases, and manual searches were also performed. The research material consists of one book, one book chapter a, doctoral dissertation and four articles. The material was analyzed using content-based content analysis. The results were separated to different categories: Quantum in social science, quantum in healthcare, quantum leadership, quantum theory in psychotherapy, quantum theory and human rights and the new holistic paradigm. Finally, a model of society, based on the unity, was created. The “quantum” has inspired researching new perspectives on almost everything in social sciences and nursing science. It could provide a new philosophical foundation, based on the unity of all. It personally challenges everybody to reflect on one’s own worldview, which builds a foundation in developing our society and institutions, which are basically created by human intentions. Consciousness is in a central role. When change is understood to be the nature of life, the perspective needs to change from processes to relationships. Leadership principles need to change accordingly, as leaders have a central role in the changemaking process. The concept of nature also gets a central role, as human beings are now a part of a system, instead of being the ruler of all. Keywords: Quantum, quantum theory, quantum entanglement, quantum social science, quantum leadership, quantum nursing, new paradigm, development, human rights, organisational change, self-awareness, global change, holism, dialogue, literature review.
ABSTRACT Sanna-Maria Salmi Quantum phenomena changing the world? ̶ A descriptive literature review 116 p. December, 2018. Diaconia University of Applied Sciences Master’s Degree in Health Care Master of Social Services Master’s Degree Programme of Community Development, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Quantum physics revolutionized our understanding of reality approximately a hundred years ago. The Newtonian classical, mechanistical paradigm was challenged by the quantum theory. The development in physics has often been unnoticed in the other sciences. It has been said that the mechanistical paradigm cannot solve the problems that humanity is facing. It has even been said that many of today’s problems are caused by the dualistic understanding of the human, society and reality. The aim of this research is to find out in which ways the paradigm shift in quantum physics has inspired the development of new ideas in social sciences and healthcare and in which ways these ideas could be used to shape the future. The goal of this thesis is to produce a concise, easily accessible, general view for the reader to gain an understanding of the “quantum” phenomena. If one so chooses, this could also provide tools for reflecting on one’s own worldview, the general western worldview, identity, work and organizations from this perspective. It could even provide inspiration to start working as a transformation agent in one’s own environment, in order to question the existing structures. The research was carried out using the descriptive literature review method. Research material was gathered from the several databases, and manual searches were also performed. The research material consists of one book, one book chapter a, doctoral dissertation and four articles. The material was analyzed using content-based content analysis. The results were separated to different categories: Quantum in social science, quantum in healthcare, quantum leadership, quantum theory in psychotherapy, quantum theory and human rights and the new holistic paradigm. Finally, a model of society, based on the unity, was created. The “quantum” has inspired researching new perspectives on almost everything in social sciences and nursing science. It could provide a new philosophical foundation, based on the unity of all. It personally challenges everybody to reflect on one’s own worldview, which builds a foundation in developing our society and institutions, which are basically created by human intentions. Consciousness is in a central role. When change is understood to be the nature of life, the perspective needs to change from processes to relationships. Leadership principles need to change accordingly, as leaders have a central role in the changemaking process. The concept of nature also gets a central role, as human beings are now a part of a system, instead of being the ruler of all. Keywords: Quantum, quantum theory, quantum entanglement, quantum social science, quantum leadership, quantum nursing, new paradigm, development, human rights, organisational change, self-awareness, global change, holism, dialogue, literature review.
Abstract We present the current state of quantum mechanics, the prospects for its development, and the strengthening of its influence on scientific and technological progress. We look at quantum mechanics from four perspectives. The first perspective astonished physicists already with the advent of quantum mechanics—it is (1) a new way of looking at the world. Over the course of a hundred years of development, quantum mechanics has acquired three more perspectives: (2) an independent field of knowledge, (3) a new physical theory, and (4) a radical change in paradigm in the history of human thought. We have named the new paradigm “neo-Copenhagen” to emphasize both its development from and its continuity with the Copenhagen interpretation. We review the problems of quantum mechanics: how experimental research progresses, how basic concepts develop, how practical applications of paradoxical ideas expand. We indicate ways to solve three Ginzburg’s “great” problems. We formulate the features of the neo-Copenhagen paradigm that have already emerged. We present a look at the future of science and technology on the three time scales.
Most interpretations of quantum theory fail to provide a fundamental, complete, self-consistent account of nature describing physical reality itself, as opposed to merely yielding predictions about results of experiments and observations. A paradigm providing a self-consistent foundation for quantum theory and a description of the reality it refers to, generalized to a worldview, is a Quantum Paradigm, where ‘paradigm' is defined as structure of experiential reality. We assert that the fundamental obstruction in the quest for a quantum paradigm is the assumption of objectivity. The subject-object distinction, drawn within experience, has within the natural sciences degenerated into a dichotomy-an absolute split into separate realms-with scientists adopting the classical paradigm where the object pole of experience ("objective reality") can be studied independently from the subject pole ("the experiencer"), with a presupposition that this procedure yields a fundamental description of nature. In fact, the subjective is often eliminated altogether as a fundamental category, and reduced to an epiphenomenon of objective processes. We claim this objectivity assumption precludes a full comprehension and a paradox-free formulation of quantum theory. By challenging this presupposition, i.e. leaving the question open, a coherent understanding of quantum nature falls naturally into place, providing appropriate foundation for quantum theory and an associated world-view. The resulting Quantum Paradigm is "realist" in the sense that it provides a description of what is actually happening: namely the arena of all happening is Mind or Consciousness-from which mind and matter, subject and object, individual and collective, and time and space co-dependently arise. The subject matter of quantum theory then becomes the fundamental mind-function of distinction ("measurement"), resulting in information and its statistical correlations. The message of quantum mechanics is surprising: the basic components of objects-the particles, electrons, quarks, etc.-cannot be thought of as ‘self-existent'. The reality that they, and hence all objects, are components of is ‘empirical reality', of experience."The universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine."-James Jeans Anomalous phenomena such as ESP and psychokinesis, collective consciousness, and synchronicity that are considered impossible in the context of the classical paradigm, fit naturally in, and can in turn provide evidence for the Quantum Paradigm. Spirituality and science are shown to be complementary approaches referring to the same reality, Mind, while each discipline retains its integrity. The Quantum Paradigm can be intellectually comprehended, as well as embodied: one can live in quantum reality. A good metaphor for this is "life as a dream": with no "real" objects as distinguished from experienced objects. Experience is "empty" of self-nature in the Buddhist sense, with everything interconnected and co-dependently arising. Experiencing the world by "embodying the Quantum Paradigm" is transformative, healing, and an antidote to alienation resulting from embodying the classical paradigm. Embodying the Quantum Paradigm and living in the Oneness of all creation can help humanity-increasingly lost in the materialism and individualism reinforced by our embodiment of the classical paradigm-and restore intimate connection and harmony with Spirit, Nature and fellow humans; we need such a transformation to survive and thrive in our technological society.
This chapter embarks on a journey through the evolving intersections of classical and quantum paradigms, examining their implications for the social sciences. Beginning with the classical paradigm and its limitations, the discussion introduces the philosophical foundations and revolutionary insights of quantum mechanics, challenging traditional assumptions of reality. Key quantum concepts such as uncertainty, complementarity, entanglement, and the probabilistic nature of the wave function are explored to reveal a world marked by interconnectedness and discontinuity. The chapter then reconsiders fundamental constructs of space, time, and causality, investigating quantum non-locality, the complex nature of time, and the nuances of causation beyond mere correlation. Expanding beyond physics, the discussion reimagines social science methodologies, proposing a reconceptualization of reality that embraces quantum perspectives. This framework shifts the understanding of the “researched” from a classical to a quantum human, urging a methodological and philosophical reorientation in social science inquiry.
Purpose This work examines assumptions of positivism and the traditional scientific method. Design/methodology/approach Insights from quantum mechanics are explored especially as they relate to method, measurement and what is knowable. An argument is made that how social scientists, particularly sociologists, understand the nature of “reality out there” and describe the social world may be challenged by quantum ideas. The benefits of utilized mixed methods, considering quantum insights, cannot be overstated. Findings It is the proposition of this work that insights from modern physics alter the understanding of the world “out there.” Wheeler suggested that the most profound implication from modern physics is that “there is no out there” (1982; see also Baggott, 1992). Grappling with how modern physics may alter understanding in the social sciences will be difficult; however, that does not mean the task should not be undertaken (see Goswami, 1993). A starting point for the social sciences may be relinquishing an old mechanistic science that depends on the establishment of an objective, empirically based, verifiable reality. Mechanistic science demands “one true reality – a clear-cut reality on which everyone can agree…. Mechanistic science is by definition reductionistic…it has had to try to reduce complexity to oversimplification and process to statis. This creates an illusionary world…that has little or nothing to do with the complexity of the process of the reality of creation as we know, experience, and participate in it” (Goswami, 1993, pp. 64, 66). Research limitations/implications Many physicists have popularized quantum ideas for others interested in contemplating the implications of modern physics. Because of the difficulty in conceiving of quantum ideas, the meaning of the quantum in popular culture is far removed from the parent discipline. Thus, the culture has been shaped by the rhetoric and ideas surrounding the basic quantum mathematical formulas. And, over time, as quantum ideas have come to be part of the popular culture, even the link to the popularized literature in physics is lost. Rather, quantum ideas may be viewed as cultural formations that take on a life of their own. Practical implications The work allows a critique of positivist method and provides insight on how to frame qualitative methodology in a new way. Social implications The work utilizes popularized ideas in quantum theory: the preeminent theory that describes all matter. Little work in sociology utilizes this perspective in understanding research methods. Originality/value Quantum insights have rarely been explored in highlighting limitations in positivism. The current work aims to build on quantum insights and how these may help us better understand the social world around us.
The article presents a review of foreign scientific literature on the quantum-like approach to understanding the modeling of cognition and decision-making processes. It is shown that the current application of quantum physics approaches to consciousness, psychological approaches such as perception, cognition, emotions, consciousness and learning, involves the search for a single objective mathematical model of what underlies the experience of the brain. The use of quantum physics algorithms can help in understanding the mechanisms of brain malfunctions and memory impairments that are found in pathologies such as dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, etc. Quantum physics approaches are applicable to issues of modeling cognition and decision-making processes, as well as in cognitive research, information processing by the human brain, artificial intelligence development, psychology, social and political sciences. Application of the abstract mathematical principles of quantum theory can help in understanding human consciousness and behavior. Quantum probability theory is applied to modeling human behavior due to the prevalence of uncertainty in human interaction with the world. Quantum cognitive models are especially useful in research in such areas as errors in decision making, order effects of questions, conceptual combinations, accumulation of evidence, perception, etc. Of particular interest to researchers are issues of quantum-like modeling of cognition and decision-making processes, the apparatus of quantum information and probability theory, useful for such modeling, as well as the use of such apparatus in cognitive research, the development of artificial intelligence, psychology, social and political sciences.
Quantum mechanics (QM) has taken on a paradigmatic role in how physics describes and builds new knowledge about the world. It also has a growing role in our society thanks to recent and rapid developments in the field of new quantum technologies. These are becoming increasingly important in our society, in the world of work and which will also decisively influence future socio-economic choices. Also for this reason QM has an increasing role in the education of young people and has been introduced in many different ways also in secondary school in all continents. The change in the theoretical and cultural frame has profound implications that are often not intuitive, which involve the appropriation of a specific way of thinking. Neither macroscopic phenomenology, nor intuition help, because there is no simple evidence of how quantum objects must be thought to interpret that unobservable microscopic world and for which we must enter another interpretative paradigm even if we want to limit ourselves to describe it. PER has carried out several studies on the learning of key concepts, on the learning nodes, the ways of reasoning, the difficulties of the students, their spontaneous ideas, according to two main strands: above all at university level, conceptual difficulties and misunderstandings often linked to a formal approach, which, moreover, underpins the very nature of the entities involved; at secondary school level in relation to how students acquire a quantum view of phenomena on the basis of specific approaches adopted to address QM. In particular, a vast literature, which has increased considerably and especially in relatively recent times, has studied how university students deal with certain concepts such as that of state, superposition, measurement in quantum mechanics rather than how quantum quantities evolve over time. These studies are based on the use of questionnaires that allow to explore different levels: the verbal, formal and representative one, with different representations (eg. wave function, Dirac notation), rather than different representative modes (eg. Graphs of probability amplitudes, or probability distributions). At the secondary school level, the most important studies on student learning were instead conducted evaluating the educational impact and outlining the learning paths of students who had followed formative activities based on differentiated innovative research-based educational paths. In particular, the learning outcomes were compared to those activated by proposals based on the historical reconstruction approach of quantum physics. This approach is privileged in traditional curricula and school texts and consequently in the ways of teachers approaching the topic. It was developed in schools with a narrative or descriptive dimension of solutions based on old physics of quanta for the interpretation of phenomena not explained by classical physics. The innovative approaches instead make use of contexts whose formal treatment is simple (quantum properties described in a two-state space such as polarization or spin) with the aid of simulations that compensate for the problem of students” limited mathematical-formal skills, avoiding any historical reference. In particular, there is a significant difference between the survey tools and the survey contexts in the high school environment compared to surveys conducted with university students. This paper presents a review of the research literature, focusing in particular on the learning processes of secondary school students and outlining how research perspectives have evolved.