Abstract This chapter explores possible quantum physical interpretations of Potiguara ontology, as well as hypothetical Potiguara interpretations of Bohmian quantum physics. The overall results of these speculative comparisons between Potiguara ontology and recent academic ontologies strongly suggest a possible commensurability between certain ontological interpretations of quantum physics and Potiguara cosmology. Moreover, a Potiguara view on quantum physics might provide a fresh look at old problems, unveiling new perspectives, and possibly even new solutions to old and painfully tenacious problems.
Abstract This chapter explores possible quantum physical interpretations of Potiguara ontology, as well as hypothetical Potiguara interpretations of Bohmian quantum physics. The overall results of these speculative comparisons between Potiguara ontology and recent academic ontologies strongly suggest a possible commensurability between certain ontological interpretations of quantum physics and Potiguara cosmology. Moreover, a Potiguara view on quantum physics might provide a fresh look at old problems, unveiling new perspectives, and possibly even new solutions to old and painfully tenacious problems.
To revisit and analyze the histories formalism of quantum mechanics, this chapter will refer to the basic idea of the nomological interpretation of the quantum wave function as described in the previous chapter. The quantum wave functions can be interpreted as nomological and non-ontological elements of Bohmian mechanics. This inspires us that, in quantum histories formalism, the multiple conditions/criteria of determining the possible families of histories, whose validity can be examined by reasonable tests regarding the properties of subsystems, can be argued as lawful or nomological, while the quantum histories can be argued as the fundamental physical reality. We will specifically focus on this novel depiction of the formalism concerning quantum reality, which enables us to reconsider the numerous objections to the histories interpretation that were raised in previous chapters and re-examine/resolve from the nomological perspective the several aforementioned ontological and logical issues of quantum histories interpretation. However, there still remain challenging issues in the understanding of quantum histories.
Quantum theory underpins much of modern physics and its implications draw the attention of industry, academia and public funding agencies. However there are many unsettled conceptual and philosophical problems in the interpretation of quantum mechanics which are a matter of extensive debate. These hotly debated topics include the meaning of the wave function, the nature of the quantum objects, the role of the observer, the non-locality of the quantum world, and the emergence of classicality from the quantum domain. Containing chapters written by eminent researchers from the fields of physics and philosophy, this book provides interdisciplinary, comprehensive and up-to-date perspectives of the problems related to the interpretation of quantum theory. It is ideal for academic researchers in physics and philosophy working on the ontology of quantum mechanics.
Abstract This chapter provides a very short introduction into quantum physics and some of its most prominent ontological interpretations. Interestingly, many of the very founders of quantum physics soon began to associate their revolutionary findings in fundamental physics with the mind-body problem. Physicists like Nils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, and David Bohm speculated that the wave-particle dualism displayed by quanta might be at the very basis of the mind-body dualism of our every-day experience. Recent investigations by Nikolaus von Stillfried suggest that a modified interpretation of Bohmian quantum physics might pave the way to a unified naturalist theory of mind and matter.
A common learning goal for modern physics instructors is for students to recognize a difference between the experimental uncertainty of classical physics and the fundamental uncertainty of quantum mechanics. Our studies suggest this notoriously difficult task may be frustrated by the intuitively realist perspectives of introductory students, and a lack of ontological flexibility in their conceptions of light and matter. We have developed a framework for understanding and characterizing student perspectives on the physical interpretation of quantum mechanics, and demonstrate the differential impact on student thinking of the myriad ways instructors approach interpretive themes in their introductory courses. Like expert physicists, students interpret quantum phenomena differently, and these interpretations are significantly influenced by their overall stances on questions central to the so-called measurement problem: Is the wave function physically real, or simply a mathematical tool? Is the collapse of the wave function an ad hoc rule, or a physical transition not described by any equation? Does an electron, being a form of matter, exist as a localized particle at all times? These questions, which are of personal and academic interest to our students, are largely only superficially addressed in our introductory courses, often for fear of opening a Pandora's Box of student questions, none of which have easy answers. We show how a transformed modern physics curriculum (recently implemented at the University of Colorado) may positively impact student perspectives on indeterminacy and wave-particle duality, by making questions of classical and quantum reality a central theme of our course, but also by making the beliefs of our students, and not just those of scientists, an explicit topic of discussion.
The usual interpretation of the quantum theory is self-consistent, but it involves an assumption that cannot be tested experimentally, viz., that the most complete possible specification of an individual system is in terms of a wave function that determines only probable results of actual measurement processes. The term ‘ontological interpretation’ is sometimes applied to Bohm’s approach, as he set out to tackle the ontological problems of conventional quantum theory. However, the ontological interpretations are strikingly different. In the many worlds view, the differing branches are simultaneously and equally real, whereas Bohm’s inactive channels remain as unmanifested potentialities, with steadily declining likelihoods as more and more irreversible process (like measurement) pile up along the manifest branch. Bohm’s theory serves to illuminate some of the more interesting aspects of quantum theory (its contextuality and nonlocal nature) and demonstrates what is at stake from an ontological point of view.
Abstract In the previous chapter, the structure of the ontology proposed by the MHI was introduced. In this ontology, properties are the fundamental items and quantum systems are non-objectual bundles of properties. However, as is well known, metaphysics is underdetermined by physics; in particular, quantum mechanics is compatible with different ontological pictures. Thus, arguing in favor of a certain quantum ontology over others requires showing how fruitful it is in the task of offering reasonable solutions to interpretative problems. This chapter is devoted to show the advantages of the proposed picture for dealing with the ontological challenges of quantum mechanics: contextuality, non-separability, and indistinguishability. Finally, the top-down approach presented in Chapter 8 is revisited, showing how it acquires an ontological significance from the perspective of the ontology of properties proposed by the MHI.